


The Shock of Sudden Silence

by larklemon



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Darcy Lewis's Taser, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Humor, Hydra (Marvel), I feel like I'm missing tags, I'm Bad At Tagging, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Violence, Multi, My First Fanfic, New York City, Rating May Change, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Stark Tower, Strangers to Lovers, Torture, ahhhhh i'm nervous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:33:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 24,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21932248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larklemon/pseuds/larklemon
Summary: Darcy Lewis had never been a quiet person. The opposite in fact. Most of her life had revolved around the fear from her soulmark. She was determined to avoid fate, and determined to never meet her soulmate. She was going to live her life as loud and as fast as possible, and no one was going to change that. Until New Mexico, aliens, London, Stark, and HYDRA decided her fate for her.
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster/Thor, Pepper Potts/Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 133
Kudos: 651





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first fic, so please be kind. I love constructive criticism however, so feel free to leave some. I don't have a Beta, so all spelling and grammar mistakes are my own. I'll try to post a new chapter every week or so. Enjoy!
> 
> DISCLAIMER:None of these characters are mine.

Dr. Jane Foster had only been at the Avengers tower for a few weeks, but almost everyone had heard about the whirlwind that was her assistant Darcy Lewis. Everyone who met her was amazed at how quickly she managed to come and go, often leaving while still shouting something behind her.  
  
The first time she met Tony Stark, she was wandering the science floor, nursing her sixth cup of coffee as she waited for the decaf cups she had started to give Jane an hour ago to kick in. Tony was in his workshop, music blaring as he tinkered away.  
  
“Friday, how long has he been in here?” Darcy said, leaning on the door jamb, eyebrows raised as she watched him slap away an odd looking robot trying to hand him a wrench.  
  
“37 hours and 18 minutes, Ms. Lewis.”  
  
“Darcy,” she replied almost absentmindedly as she debated whether or not she wanted to risk bothering the man who technically signed her paychecks. “Hey, uh, Mr. Bossman, while I realize that whatever crazy thing you are working on over there-“  
  
“Smart toaster,” he interrupted, still not looking up. “I want it to tell when Clint is using it and burn his toast.”  
  
“Okay…” she said, now thoroughly confused. “While I’m sure that’s super important, do you even know what day it is? Or when the last time you ate was? Or maybe showered?”  
  
“Please,” he snorted, now glancing up at her. “It’s Monday, and a few hours ago because that’s when Steve left.” It was well known throughout the tower that Steve and Tony were soulmates, exchanging their words before the battle of New York.  
  
“Okay, first of all dude, its Wednesday, like 3am, so that’s gross. Friday, has he eaten since he’s been down here?”  
  
“He had a donut 14 hours ago, and has consumed 19 cups of coffee.” Darcy sighed. It looked like she would now be babysitting two mad scientists instead of one.  
  
“Hey Tony? Why don’t we go see about some more food, yeah? And a shower. And a bed. Not necessarily in that order.”  
  
“Don’t you work for me?”  
  
“Yes, but I don’t want to have to deal with a sad Steve just because you went on a science binge.” Hearing Steve’s name, Tony finally gave his full attention to Darcy, looking more like a sad puppy then billionaire genius.  
  
“Steve? He’s been gone for so long, and what if he gets hurt? ‘It’s a small mission’ he said, ‘Won’t take more than a day,’ he said. Him and Black Widow, off to do superhero things, and I’m here.” During his rant, Darcy had moved in closer, prying the mangled toaster free as she nodded, making sympathetic noises. Tony hadn’t even seemed to notice, his eyes distant as he now began to discuss Steve’s amazing thighs and beautiful stomach in far more detail then Darcy needed. She tried to hide her laugh as she gently led Tony out of the lab.  
  
“Friday, where are his rooms?” Darcy asked, keeping her voice low as she herded the sleep deprived man towards the elevator, which Friday had made sure was waiting for them.  
  
“Just follow the lights once you exit, Ms. Lewis.” Darcy rolled her eyes but refrained from commenting on the title like she usually did. Tony was now leaning most of his weight onto her, and she was struggling to stay upright. As she helped Tony out of the elevator and down the hall, following the gentle blue lights towards the apartment she assumed was his, she couldn’t help but reflect on how crazy her life had become since applying for the intern position in New Mexico. Gods, aliens, superheroes, spies, and assassins were now normal everyday occurrences in her life.  
  
Once she managed to open the door, Darcy debated just dropping Tony onto the couch. It looked big enough, and she wasn’t sure how much further she would be able to drag the man. With a sigh, she carried on past the couch, knowing that if Jane didn’t like being dumped on one, Tony probably wouldn’t either. Without prompting, Friday informed her that the bedroom door was on the left, and with a grunt Darcy swung the door open.  
  
Tony was now almost completely asleep, having moved on from Steve's thighs to how beautiful his eyes were. With a final heave, Darcy deposited him onto his bed, and decided to call it good enough. She had no wish to smell the man anymore then she already had, and no desire to try and remove his clothes. She quietly left the apartment, then headed back towards Jane's lab, where hopefully she would be able to get her to bed with no more trouble.  
  
From there, Tony and Darcy’s friendship flourished, and Darcy was promoted from Jane’s assistant to Official Scientist Wrangler. This also included Bruce Banner, who, while better than Jane and Tony, occasionally needed to be reminded to sleep, especially when his soulmates were on a mission. A benefit to her new position, along with an increased paycheck, was that she was now one of the Avengers favorite people.  
  
Darcy had been using the common room and kitchen on the Avengers level before to only make coffee and steal pop tarts for Jane and herself, but was now found there often, cooking and laughing with the team. It seemed that taking care of everyone’s scientist soulmate increases one’s popularity immensely.  
  
Steve showed his appreciation by bringing her small toys and trinkets from his missions around the world, cheap things meant for tourists. Darcy loved them, clearing an entire shelf in the lab just to display them. Steve would chuckle every time he brought her a new one, amused at how easily pleased she was. It took a burden off his shoulders, knowing he could in some small way say thank you for watching out for Tony.  
  
Clint would pop out of the vents at random intervals, bringing her the latest gossip from around the tower. Darcy absolutely loved it. Jane's head was often buried too deep in her work to pay attention to the goings on in the tower, and when she wasn’t, she was focused on Thor. Darcy didn’t blame her friend; she knew Jane showed her love and appreciation in her own small ways.  
  
Natasha took a little longer to offer Darcy something, but no one expected the Black Widow to be anything but cautious. The first time Natasha appeared behind Darcy, offering to teach her to self-defense, Darcy had nearly jumped out of her skin. But she took her up on the offer, knowing this was her way of saying thanks. As brutal as the training sessions were, she wouldn't have traded it for anything else in the world.  
  
Darcy grew to love it at the tower, but a small part of her was still scared. No one asked her about her soulmark, no one even knew she had one. Except Natasha, of course, who had merely raised an eyebrow before asking if Darcy had ever shot a gun before. Darcy still worried. _Its okay to be scared to speak._ The words had haunted her since her twelfth birthday, when they'd appeared on the left side of her ribs during a heated game of tag.  
  
Other people showed off their soulmarks, but not her. While she hadn’t been a quiet child before, she now filled silence with anything that came to mind. She was determined that she would never meet her soulmate, never be afraid to speak. When she informed her mother of this, arms crossed in defiance and eyes daring her to challenge the statement, her mother simply shook her head and held Darcy close, telling her that the universe knew what it was doing.  
  
A large part of Darcy’s personality was because of her soulmark. She talked to everyone about everything, never letting more than a few seconds lull in conversation before filling it. In school, she was called a chatterbox, told to be quiet and let others speak. In college she made a great number of friends this way, all more then willing to let her distract the professor with some far-flung theory, eyes bright as she debated whatever topic had caught her eye now.  
  
In the tower, it was easier than ever, as Jane never seemed to mind that she always talked. Darcy had made it a point to talk to as many SHIELD agents and scientists as possible, wandering the hallways whenever Jane was too far into a science binge to notice her gone. After all, she can’t be afraid to speak if she never stops, right?__


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope your having a good holiday season, and are as excited for the New Year as I am!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters

That morning began like all the ones before it, with Darcy twirling around the kitchen dancing to whatever obscure song she had found interesting that morning. Steve was cooking pancakes, listening to Tony go on about his newest idea with a fond smile on his face. “Hey, Darcy, you probably want to eat up before the super soldier here inhales it.” Darcy paused mid twirl, glancing up at Clint who at some point had popped out of a vent above her.  
  
“Clint, my dude, my best buddy, you know that Steve and I have a beautiful relationship in which I dance my heart out and he gives me pop tarts. Who needs healthy crap when you can have pop tarts? And I thought we talked about how important my dancing routine is before I start my day.” By now, Natasha and Bruce had come in, pinkies linked as they spoke to each other in low voices.  
  
“Nat! My amazing spider gal pal! Please tell your boyfriend not to bother me while I’m dancing.” Darcy said, arms crossed and her face in a pout. Natasha glanced up, a ghost of a smile on her face as she observed Darcy, music blaring from the headphones now dangling from her fingertips.  
  
“Clint, yesterday I gave Darcy a lesson on how to knock out a man with a single hit. Maybe you should leave her alone.” Natasha’s voice was soft but deadly, only the faintest traces of humor in it. Tony and Steve were now watching, unsuccessfully trying to muffle their laughter as they watched the pout disappear from Darcy’s face, replaced by a solemn look as she nodded in agreement with Natasha.  
  
“It’s true Clint, one poke and BOOM! No more Clint in the vent.” She shook her head, feigning seriousness. Clint, his eyes darting between his poker-faced girlfriend and the small women below him, decided that while unlikely, he wouldn’t put it past either one. He swung down from the ceiling, careful to stay far from Darcy for now, and curled into Bruce’s side, muttering darkly about evil women and betrayal of love.  
  
Darcy resumed her mad dancing, a smile on her face as Steve tossed her pop tarts. “Thank you, Captain Spangles, for my nutritious meal, and thank you Natasha, for being your gorgeous self.” Steve, now used to the nickname, turned back to his cooking, Tony already back in science mode.  
  
Blowing a kiss to Bruce, who was sitting on the floor, his hands running through Clint’s hair, and waving a cheerful goodbye to Nat, Darcy continued her dancing towards the door. Her box of pop tarts become a microphone as she took one final dramatic leap, leaving the room and taking her music with her.  
  
“How’s the search going?” Natasha asked, taking a seat next to Tony. Steve sighed, his smile fading as he handed her a cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes.  
  
“Not good,” he admitted, running a hand over his face. Tony paused his science ramble, a worried look in his eyes as he observed his boyfriend. “Sam and I got close a few days ago, we probably missed him by a matter of minutes. He just, he’s always one step ahead, I have no idea how.”  
  
Tony slid off his chair and moved to the other side of the counter, wrapping his arms around Steve from behind. Steve leaned back, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath.“I wish I could do more to help, Steve. I even reached out to a few more contacts yesterday. But he’s a ghost. No one has even seen him.”  
  
“Thanks Nat. I appreciate it.” He said, giving Natasha a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I know everyone’s doing as much as they can, it means a lot.” Bruce and Clint now picked themselves up off the floor, Clint apparently having decided that his pity party was over. They all were silent for a moment, the only sound in the kitchen Steve serving everyone food and coffee, receiving quiet murmurs of thanks in return.  
  
Finally, Tony detached himself from Steve’s back, brushing his palm over Steve’s cheek before pulling him into a deep kiss. Clint, Bruce, and Natasha all smiled, glancing at each other before turning their eyes back to their food. After a long minute, Bruce awkwardly cleared his throat, causing the pair to finally surface for air. Tony’s hair was mussed, lips slightly swollen, and Steve blushed, a small smile flitting across his face.  
  
“As fun as I imagine that is, you woke me up at 4am last night with a brilliant new idea, Tony. So, can we go take a look at that?” Bruce gave an indulgent smile as Tony’s brain finally caught up with the words being directed at him. Steve laughed, and gave him a quick kiss on his forehead before gently shoving him towards the door.  
  
“You woke me up with that one too, babe, so let’s hope it gets some results.” Tony turned, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“You didn’t seem to mind the results last night.” Quickly pasting an innocent grin on his face, Tony winked and turned towards Bruce, who was now saying his goodbyes to Natasha and Clint, if not more chastely then the previous display. “Come on, Brucey boy, lets go, lets go. Things aren’t going to invent themselves, now are they? Chop, chop!” Bruce sighed but finished his goodbyes and grabbed his coffee, refilled courtesy of Steve. Together, the two left the common room, already debating the best ways to begin their newest project.  
  
Natasha turned back towards Steve, who was now serving himself. “We’ll find Bucky, Steve, don’t worry.” She pressed a quick kiss to Clint’s face before leaving. Clint waved his goodbyes and ducked back into the vents, leaving Steve alone in the kitchen with only his thoughts for company.  
  
***  
  
In Jane’s lab, Darcy was busy decrypting and rewriting all of Jane's latest mad scientist scribbles. Jane was late, but that wasn’t unusual when Thor was in town. It wasn’t one of Darcy’s favorite jobs, but since no one else could read the handwriting and Jane certainly wasn’t going to do it, it fell to her.  
  
The peace of the morning was suddenly shattered by the alarm meant to alert people that someone or something was trying to break into the tower. With a sigh, Darcy gathered her phone, trusty iPod, and taser before beginning to make her way to one of the hundred or so safe rooms littered around the tower. Tony might have gone a little overboard with them, but he always wanted to make sure his employees and guests had somewhere safe to go during an attack.  
  
Since there was one every few weeks, he had upgraded them a little. They used to only contain a cot, toilet, and emergency med kits, but now the cots had been replaced by beds and they included food and board games. Darcy had two choices for her safe room stay. There was one a few feet from the exit of the lab in a supply closet. However, Darcy was hesitant to use this one as it was also closest to the baby scientist lab, which is what she and Jane called the scientists who technically didn’t have PhD’s.  
  
It was one of Tony’s new programs, allowing students from around the country a three-month trial run to see if they were worthy of being recruited by Stark Industries or SHIELD after they graduated. For some reason, most of them seemed wary of Darcy, although that may be related to what could only be called the Pop Tart Incident, which included a sobbing Jane and a furious Darcy, and had only been resolved after the baby scientists had promised to buy them several dozen boxes of the sacred food.  
  
She wasn’t looking forward to being stuck in a small room with them for potentially the next couple of hours, so for this reason, she chose her second safe room option. This one was a little farther away, down the hall and around the corner, but was usually empty. Also, since attacks were usually focused anywhere but the small science wing on the 38th floor, she figured it was a good bet she could make it there safely.  
  
Darcy held her taser up, charge primed. It had been a gift from Tony, who took one look at her old one and promptly told her that it was terrible, and that she was getting an upgrade. Darcy hadn’t been able to prove it, but she highly suspected that Natasha had helped Tony with both the idea and design. Not that she minded of course. Her new taser could discharge three times without needing the cartridge to be switched out and had a panic button built into the bottom of it. With one finger twitch, she could alert every Avenger, including Thor, that she was in danger.  
  
It also automatically applied a clear patch to her finger, a tracker invisible to most scanners and the naked eye. This upgrade had come after Darcy had come a little too close to the fight once, and hadn’t had a way to contact anyone for help. They found her during the cleanup, crouched under a desk with a wild look in her eye and taser ready to fire.  
  
Darcy, remembering her training by Nat, crept slowly down the hallway. While unlikely to face an assailant, she wasn’t about to be caught off guard and later scolded by her trainer. She concentrated on her hearing, alert for any unusual sounds. As she rounded the corner, she breathed a sigh of relief. Just because she could tase and potentially fight someone didn’t mean she wanted to. That corner had been the only thing worrying her, and she now had a clear shot to the safe room.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she sprinted forward, trying to quiet. She slammed her hand on the bio metric reader, the door slid open, and she stumbled into the room, breathing her second sigh of relief in a matter of minutes. With the door sliding closed behind her and no one else in the room, she began to pull out her earbuds and settled in to wait out the attack. She paused, unsure what exactly was making her uneasy. Remembering Nat’s advice to always trust her gut, she spun in a circle slowly, trying to figure out what exactly was bugging her.  
  
There was a sudden flash of movement as someone dropped to the floor behind her, landing silently. Darcy spun around, taser ready. The man had now risen out of the crouch, his hands up in the air as he looked at her._ “Holy fuck,”_ she exclaimed, unable to hide her surprise, still holding the taser. _“You. How the fuck did you get in here, dude? I bet you set off the alarm, didn’t you. Oh, Tony is going to be so pissed you managed to get in here. How did you actually? Never mind, not important right now. Steve did not tell me his friend was so hot, like shit. Also-“_  
  
The man abruptly dropped his hands, eyes widening in shock. He took a step forward, and Darcy automatically fired her taser. Her aim was true, hitting the man in the center of his chest, a groan ripping from his mouth before he fell to the ground, unconscious. “Well fuck,” said Darcy, slowly stepping backwards from the man. “I just tased Bucky Barnes.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone! Thank you very much for the kind kudos and comments, they are much appreciated. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.

Darcy wasn’t sure what to do in this scenario. Her lessons with Natasha had covered many things, but tasing the ex-Winter Soldier/Steve’s best friend while locked in a safe room was not one. She took a deep breath, slightly reassured by the obvious rise and fall of Bucky’s chest. While she was pretty sure her upgraded taser wouldn’t kill anyone, she hadn’t ever used it on a person before, and was currently trying to fight off the approaching panic she felt approaching.  
  
“Okay,” she said leaning her back against the door. “I tazed a super soldier. In a safe room. And I’m by myself. In said room. With the unconscious super soldier.” She took a moment to collect herself, resolving to freak out later, preferably alone, about the fact that she came so close to killing someone. “I should call someone,” she muttered to herself, patting down her pockets until she found her phone. “Okay. Calling. Who… do I call?” She stared at her phone before glancing back at Bucky, wincing as she realized how uncomfortable his neck looked.  
  
“What if I gave him a pillow?” she murmured, thinking about how much she would hate to be knocked out and then wake up only to a kinked neck. “I can do that, right? Just, go over to the bed, grab a pillow, lift his head. Easy peasy.”  
Darcy edged around the room, keeping one hand on the wall while her other grasped her phone, which at the moment had been forgotten about in the quest for the pillow. Finally making it to the bed, she set down her phone and grabbed one of the pillows, hoping that Bucky didn’t wake up while all this was happening. She had a feeling it might be hard to explain why she first tazed the man, then brought him a pillow.  
  
Darcy made her way towards him, keeping an eye out for any change in body language to alert her to the fact that he was waking up. Leaning down, she grabbed his head, turning it so it was no longer at an odd angle, and shoved the pillow underneath. Vaguely satisfied and panting slightly from the dead weight of his head and stress from the current situation, she inched backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed. She sat down heavily, only now remembering her intention to call someone.  
  
Scooting back, she kept her eyes on the man on the floor while putting as much room in between them as possible. Grabbing her phone, she called the first person she could think of.  
  
***  
  
After sweeping the entire tower and finding nothing out of the ordinary, the team had reconvened in the lobby while Tony tried to figure out what exactly had triggered the Friday’s security system. Not wanting to give a false safe alarm, everyone else had either been evacuated or was still in a safe room. “I just don’t get it,” he muttered, fingers darting around the Stark Pad. “There was definitely a breach, 38th floor, but Friday has no footage, and with the lock down only people with badges or us can leave the building. There isn’t anywhere they could have gone.” The rest of the team stood around him, tensing at the thought of someone being able to bypass Friday’s security system and slip out.  
  
Natasha’s phone began to buzz, and she glanced at the screen briefly before declining the call, figuring Darcy was getting impatient in the safe room and wanted to know what was going on. Her phone buzzed again, drawing Clint’s attention.  
  
“Why is she calling?” he said, lowering his voice as to not draw attention. “She knows better than to call us during an alarm.”  
  
“I’m not sure,” Natasha said, brow furrowing slightly. “But this is the second time she’s calling”  
  
“If it was an emergency she would have used her panic button, right?” Clint asked, quickly growing concerned.  
  
“That’s the hope,” she said, swiping to accept the call. Just as she was opening her mouth to ask Darcy what the hell she was doing, Darcy began to ramble.  
  
“Oh, hey Nat! What’s up, hope everything’s all good with the alarm and stuff. So, you know I hate to call but I have a small issue that might need some attention.” Concerned, Natasha had put the phone on speaker, drawing everyone else’s attention to the phone. “So, funny story, right. The alarm went off, I went to the safe room, everything was fine. Then I got in, and what do you know, Steve’s sexy friend Mr. Bucky Barnes was also in here. And I might have tazed him a little bit, and he might currently be on the floor of my safe room I’m stuck in since I can’t override the door.”  
  
Steve’s face paled as he took the took in what Darcy was saying before starting to run towards the science wing. Clint, Tony, and Natasha took a second longer then the super soldier to register what Darcy was trying to convey and took off after him. Darcy was still going, her voice getting more and more high pitched the longer she talked.  
  
“-I also gave him a pillow, because I know if my neck was at the angle his was at, whoa boy I would not be happy.”  
  
“Did she just say she gave him a pillow?” Clint whispered to Tony, smirking slightly at the mental image.  
  
“Yes, I think she did,” Tony replied, trying in vain to keep the smile that was threatening to bloom. “Fucking Darcy Lewis tazed the Winter Soldier, then gave him a pillow before she called us. I love that girl.” By now they had reached the science wing and Steve already there, twisting in a circle, no idea where any idea of where the safe rooms were. Natasha took the lead, Darcy still chattering on the other line.  
  
“Are you sure it's this one?” asked Steve, the tremor in his voice obvious.  
  
“Yes. She mentioned once how she doesn’t like using the other one since the baby scientists go in there.” Reaching the room, she pressed her hand to the scanner. Clint, Tony, and Steve all fanned out behind her as the door slid open. Steve held his breath, not daring to believe after all his searching it was finally going to end. As they walked in, Tony had to clap his hand to his mouth to keep from laughing.  
  
Apparently, Darcy had decided that the pillow wasn’t enough and had also spread a blanket over Bucky. She was now sitting on the corner of the bed, clutching a pillow to her chest with her phone in front of her. Natasha and Steve quickly walked over to Bucky, Natasha showing no expression as she crouched down, studying his face. Steve was near tears and apparently oblivious to the blanket and pillow Darcy had provided. Tony appeared at his side, offering his hand in silent support.  
  
Clint slowly walked to Darcy, who hadn’t seemed to realize the team had entered to room and was now mumbling unintelligibly as she kept her eyes glued to Bucky. Sitting in front of her, Clint waved his hand back and forth until her eyes snapped to him. With what can only be described as a whimper, she launched herself at him, tears now streaming down her face. As strong as Darcy was, even this was too much for her to handle.  
  
Steve picked Bucky up bridal style once Natasha confirmed that he was still out. Clint had led a trembling Darcy out a few moments earlier, Jane’s name now being the only understandable thing being said. Natasha had exchanged a silent look with him, and he knew she wanted him to stay with Darcy until she had been successfully handed over.  
  
Steve looked as though he still couldn’t believe he was holding his best friend in his arms, alive. Tony was refraining from commenting on the mans beautiful metal arm, silently promising himself he would look at it later. More important right now was Steve.  
  
It was an odd procession for sure, and Tony was glad almost everyone was still in the safe rooms since technically the all clear hadn’t been given. “Friday,” he said, glancing at Bucky before returning his attention to the man he loved. “Give the all clear once we reach the infirmary.”  
  
With Friday’s quiet acknowledgement, Tony gently began to guide Steve towards the elevator, hoping they got to the medical floor before Bucky Barnes woke up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 5 day’s until the New Year! Also, school starts back up again in a week, so chapter updates might slow down a bit. Thank you for all the kudos!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.

At some point during the walk to Jane's quarters, Darcy had fallen silent, only the occasional sniffle and odd tear rolling down her cheek. Almost all her weight was now leaning on Clint, who was more than happy to help. “Come on,” he said, no more than a whisper, “almost there.” Darcy nodded, almost imperceptibly, and tightened her grip on Clint’s forearm.  
  
Finally reaching Jane's hallway, Clint asked Friday to alert Jane as to what had happened as quickly as possible. A quiet acknowledgment came from the AI, and Clint waited for the hurricane that was a concerned Jane Foster to arrive. Sure enough, the door at the end of the hallway was flung open and Jane raced out, a quiet Thor standing in the doorway. He hadn’t responded to the call as Friday had informed him his help wasn’t necessary, and he had been more than happy to sit with Jane.  
  
“Oh my god, Darcy, honey, are you alright?” At Jane's concerned tone, Darcy looked up, tears now completely dry.  
  
“Jane… I tazed someone. A super someone. And he went unconscious!” Jane frowned, not thinking this had been where Darcy was going.  
  
“Yes,” she said carefully, “isn’t that a good thing?” Darcy gasped, her hands beginning to wave violently as she got more and more upset, causing Clint to take a careful step back.  
  
“Janey! My taser knocked out a super soldier! Don’t you get it?” Jane, even more confused, shared a glance with Clint, who shrugged. “Jane, I could have killed him!” Suddenly understanding, Clint closed his eyes, a small smile tugging on his lips as finally understood what had Darcy so upset.  
  
“Darcy, are you upset because the taser Tony gave you is possibly strong enough to kill someone instead of just knocking them out?” Clint asked, a wide grin now spreading over his face.  
  
“Yes!” Clint, no longer able to keep it in, laughed. For a long time. Jane and Darcy stood there, staring, while Thor merely chuckled for a moment.  
  
“Oh… Oh this is so good,” he managed to gasp out, wiping tears from his eyes. “Only you, Darcy Lewis, would be more concerned about how lethal your taser is over the fact that you ran into the Winter Soldier!” Darcy, finally seeing what might be wrong with her logic, cracked a small smile. “I mean, the Winter Soldier!” Darcy started laughing now too, if a little softer.  
  
It looked like her small breakdown had ended almost before it began. Jane just stood there, shaking her head. Still laughing to himself, Clint waved goodbye, unable to wait until he got back to Nat and Bruce to tell them what had happened. The occasional, “Winter Soldier… Oh my god,” slipped out as he made his way to the elevator and headed to the infirmary.  
  
Darcy now turned to Jane, who had a disappointed look on her face. “What?” she said defensively, crossing her arms.  
  
“Darcy Lewis, how do you always find trouble. You ran into the Winter Soldier! In a safe room!” Sighing, Jane turned and headed back into her apartment where Thor still stood in the doorway.  
  
“I’m going to make him a pie,” announced Darcy, following the couple. “I mean, I knocked him out. I should say sorry, right?” Jane threw her hands in the air and let out an exasperated sigh.  
  
“I’m going to my room. Come on, Thor.” Jane stomped into her room, the door slamming behind her.  
  
“Lightning sister,” said Thor, a twinkle in his eye as he followed his soulmate, “you truly have no reason to fret. I am sure the metal armed soldier will understand why you released your lighting onto him. And think. Now you can claim to have disarmed not only a god, but a super soldier as well.”  
  
“Thanks, Thor,” said Darcy, grinning. “Quick question. Do you think he would prefer an apple pie or a cherry pie?” Thor paused outside the door to James bedroom, giving the question some serious thought. As he stepped inside, he held up two fingers and winked. Darcy smiled to herself. After all, no one could be mad at pie, right?  
  
***   
  
In the infirmary, Steve had just deposited Bucky onto a hospital bed when he let out a small groan, his eyes snapping open. Immediately Steve, Tony, and Natasha took a step back, wary looks on their faces. “Hey, Buck, you remember me?” Steve said, trying to keep his voice low and nonthreatening. Bucky stared at him for a minute before sharply nodding his head, face blank. Natasha stepped forward, seemingly unconcerned about any threat from the man.  
  
“How did you get inside?” she said, her voice sharp even in Russian. Bucky frowned, eyes darting around as he took in his surroundings.  
  
“The window,” he replied in English, his voice deep with a small hint of a Brooklyn accent. Tony snorted, the answer exactly what he had come to expect from Bucky after hearing so much about him from Steve.  
  
“Hey, I’m Tony.” He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m obviously the guy who owns the building, and kudos on getting in. However, so I can fix that small security issue, so you mind being a little more specific?” Bucky grunted, looking him up and down.  
  
“I climbed up and opened the window. I don’t think anyone else will be following that route though, unless they have the same clunky metal arm as me.” Steve’s eyes widened a bit at the casual reference to his arm, but Tony merely nodded, seemingly content with the answer. He walked up to Steve and pecked his check, clearly deciding his presence was no longer needed.  
  
Bucky’s eyes followed the movement, and for the first time in a long time, a hint of a smile passed over his face. “So, punk, you finally managed to find that soulmate you were so hung up on.” Steve grinned, wrapping his arms around Tony’s waist and standing a little taller.  
  
“Sure did,” he said, pride evident in his voice. Bucky nodded, then glanced back at Natasha, who had remained silent throughout the exchange.  
  
“I shot you, didn’t I.” It wasn’t a question, just a statement, and Steve was again thrown by how easily Bucky seemed to mention his past. Natasha froze for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she contemplated the man in front of her.  
  
“Yes.” Bucky nodded, unsurprised by her answer. “Hurt, but I don’t blame you. The past is the past. Besides, Darcy managed to take you down with a taser. I think that’s all I need to keep me happy for a few decades or so.” Another ghost of a grin, and Bucky held out his left hand. Without hesitating, Natasha grasped it, and the two shook hands. Nodding to Steve and Tony, Nat took one last look at Bucky before slipping out the door, already able to hear Clint's voice ringing through the hallways of the infirmary.  
  
“I want to look at that arm at some point, because that thing is truly a work of art. Besides, you know, the whole killing people with it thing.” Steve winced, covering his face with one hand while the other firmly squeezed Tony’s side, a silent message to stop talking. Tony paused for a moment before realizing what he had said. Bucky raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn’t look offended.  
  
“He’s doesn’t have much of a filter, does he?”  
  
“No,” groaned Steve, still unable to look at Bucky. “He really, really, doesn’t.” A quiet puff of air was the only sign of his laugh, but it was enough to make Steve look up, a relieved look on his face.  
  
“Don’t worry about it, punk. I imagine I’ll get used to it. If you let me stay, that is.” Tony was already nodding, and Steve was smiling harder then he had in almost 70 years. Tony waved goodbye, seemingly pleased with Bucky’s promise to let him look at his arm. Steve’s eyes followed him out the door before turning back to Bucky. “Well,” said Bucky, gesturing to the end of the bed, “I imagine we’ve got a lot to catch up on.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am so so sorry for not posting in so long. However, it was a much needed mental health break and I am feeling much better. This chapter is a little short, but more are soon to come. Comments and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.

Life with Bucky in the tower quickly became normal. He mostly stayed on the top Avengers’ floors, meaning no one without a high clearance level and several hundred signed N.D.A’s were aware of his presence. Steve and Tony had worked tirelessly to promote a story of James Buchanan Barnes, Captain Americas best friend and former POW. While most of the world still believed him to be on the run, they slowly began to feel sorry for the man, instead of being convinced he was a villain.

Steve and Bucky, of course, spent a lot of time together, rebuilding a friendship that had been fractured since the train. Darcy had delivered her magnificent cherry and apple pies, earning a low whistle from Steve. Bucky said nothing, instead giving her a smile. It wasn’t huge, but it made her feel better nonetheless. She didn’t mind him not speaking to her, as he rarely spoke to anyone besides Tony, Steve, and Natasha. Dr. Cho had declared him healthy, if not heavily scarred, but recommended he replace his arm as it was made with efficiency and not comfort in mind. Bucky didn’t mind letting Tony poke around his arm, as he trusted anyone who made Steve so happy. It was also beginning to hurt more the longer he was out from under HYDRA’s thumb. The heavy scar tissue surrounding his stump made it more difficult, but soon Tony had a prototype made with the help of Shuri, King T’Challa’s genius sister. Bucky and Steve had made a special trip to Wakanda a few weeks after he arrived, Shuri's promise to remove all HYDRA programming from his brain the only thing that made Bucky feel safe about staying in the Avengers tower. He was no longer the Winter Soldier. Removing the brainwashing also erased most of his memories of his missions, but he was able to provide some current locations of HYDRA bases before he went under.

Bucky began to see Sam to help him deal with occasional flashbacks from his past, along with assimilating to the 21st century. Sam was also the only person he confided in about his soulmark, and who his soulmate was. In the 1940’s, it wasn’t considered polite to ask about or discuss soulmarks until you met your soulmate. Even then, the words were kept private, meant only for the eyes of your partner. Homosexual relationships, while not frowned upon, were rarely made public. Times were different now, with many people showing off their soulmarks before and after they met their soulmates. Homosexual relationships and triads were now commonplace, with no one batting an eye. It was a lot to adjust too, but Bucky didn’t mind.

Sam only asked to see Bucky’s soulmark once, and after considering it for a moment, Bucky had let him. Even HYDRA didn’t believe in tampering with soulmarks, and simply had kept it covered any time Bucky was awake. It wrapped around his ribs, Darcy’s handwriting penning out the near paragraph she had said before tasing him. Sam had chuckled as Bucky spun in a slow circle, the words so very Darcy. Bucky had pulled his shirt back down and raised an eyebrow at Sam’s reaction. Sam explained that Darcy Lewis was unlike any women he had ever met before, and the fact that Bucky’s soulmark wasn’t longer was almost surprising. Bucky had smiled softly, something he had taken to doing more recently, and replied that it probably would have been if he hadn’t surprised her. Sam had laughed again, then moved on to discussing Bucky’s more recent flashback of his sisters right before he left for the war. A part of Bucky had expected Sam to ask why Bucky hadn’t said anything to Darcy, but a much bigger part of him was relieved that he hadn’t. He didn’t quite think he was ready for that yet.

Whenever he saw Darcy she was speeding down the hallway or rushing in and out of the common area. She always smiled and waved when she saw him, and he always nodded in response. Sometimes he would sit with her in the kitchen and watch as she baked, more than happy to listen to her ramble on. It soon became an unspoken agreement that unless Jane was on a science bender, they would meet every Tuesday night in the kitchen, Bucky taste testing and Darcy a whirlwind of flour. Darcy never bugged him about not saying anything, learning how to read his facial cues and body language until she could have an entire conversation with him. Sam had raised his eyebrows the few times he had walked in, but the carefree look on Bucky's face was more then enough to keep him from commenting. Steve was just happy that Bucky was hanging out with someone either then him, and it hadn't been hard to convince the rest of the avenger's to keep quite about the whole thing. Bucky hadn't been oblivious to Steve's meddling, but found that he didn't mind too much. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy! Kudos and comments are always appreciated. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I, unfortunately, do not own any of these characters.

Darcy wasn't sure what woke her up first - the pounding in her head or the violent shivering. As she looked around her, taking in the bed she was currently tied to and the windowless cell she seemed to be occupying, she shoved down the tendrils of fear creeping up her spine. "Well, fuck," she muttered, tugging hopelessly at her cuffs. It wasn't the first time she had been kidnapped, but what was worrying was that she couldn't recall exactly what had happened to land her where she currently was. She took a deep breath and tried to recall her training with Natasha. Once it had become clear to both Jane and the other avengers that HYDRA and other organizations viewed Darcy as a weakness to exploit, they had insisted she learn how to handle a situation just like this one. This was probably the fifth time she had been kidnapped in the past year or so.  
  
Closing her eyes, she tried to focus as much of her concentration as she could on what she could hear. No traffic, wind, or wildlife. Either she was deep in a building or, the more likely scenario, she was underground. She couldn't hear anyone walking around or talking, so the walls were probably thick. Darcy opened her eyes and focused now on herself. "Okay Darcy. Pull it together. No room for freaking out here." On a second sweep of the room, she now noticed a small metal bucket in the corner, a dirty plastic water bottle sitting next to it. She grimaced. From an unfortunate amount of experience and training, she knew no one provided a bathroom and water if they intended to only keep her for a few hours. She also noticed a small camera in the corner by the door, it’s blinking red light seeming to almost mock her. Resisting the urge to flip her captors off, she now looked down at herself. Thankfully she was still wearing the clothes she remembered putting on last, an oversized sweater and a ratty pair of jeans. Seeing no obvious rips or tears, she let herself take a moment to bathe in the relief of not having been raped.  
  
Her wrists appeared to be bound by handcuffs, attached to the headrest of the bed. They did allow her some mobility, which she was grateful for. They were, however, tight enough around her wrists that they were digging into her skin. Even if she had managed to learn how to dislocate her thumb (she couldn't help it, the sound alone made her want to throw up) the cuffs were too tight to squeeze through. Her head was also in a lot more pain than seemed normal from being knocked out, and she carefully ran her fingers over her scalp. She winced, finding the dried blood in her hair before the large bump. Sighing again, she tried to recall exactly how she had ended up here.  
  
***  
  
"Jane, do you want anything from Morning Goat Cafe? I'm grabbing some pastries and coffee." Darcy paused in the doorway to the lab, Jane's head barely visible over the mountain of papers that covered her desk. Not even bothering to look up, Jane simply waved her hand, clearly dismissing her. With a shrug, Darcy spun on her heel, plugging in her headphones as she walked to the elevator. She hadn't been to Morning Goat Coffee before, but both the yelp reviews and the name had convinced her. The fact that it was only a fifteen minute walk from the tower was an added bonus. She hummed along to her iPod as the elevator counted down the floors, doors finally opening to the main lobby. As she walked towards the doors,she waved to the security guards, all of whom she knew by now. She caught a brief glance of some members of the STRIKE team, but averted her eyes quickly. They were one of the best teams the Avengers had, but something about them made her unsettled. She shrugged it off as she pushed open the doors, breathing in the fresh air.  
  
She took a moment to send a quick thanks to Thor that it was a nice day out. She wasn’t sure whether or not he could control that sort of thing, but she figured it couldn’t hurt. It also made her feel like she knew something more than everyone else around her. Which, to be fair, she did. But she reveled in the fact that she was probably the only person in New York who thanked Thor for the weather. She knew it was silly, but figured in a world of aliens and gods, it wasn’t too far out there.  
  
Darcy was only a few blocks from the tower when she got an uncomfortable feeling between her shoulder blades, one that made her hair stand on end. Recalling Natasha's advice for if she was ever being followed, she subtly sped up, pausing her music so she could focus better on the people around her. She debated pressing her panic button, but decided it wasn't worth the false alarm for a feeling. By the time she reached the cafe, the itch had disappeared and she dismissed her feelings as paranoia. She hadn’t ever actually seen someone following her, and decided it was more likely her suffering caffeine withdrawals than anything else. She nodded at the man holding the door open for her, and stepped inside the cafe.  
  
Looking around, she took in the latest addition to the New York coffee scene. It had a nice homey vibe to it, couches and plush chairs separated by coffee tables where hard chairs usually were. Art covered the walls, big close ups of nature. Not many people were there, but enough that the air was filled with the quiet sound of chatter. Ordering her coffee, she claimed a chair in the corner as her’s. Deciding that Jane didn't seem like she was going to need her anytime soon, Darcy figured she could kill some time. She made it through a few emails before giving up entirely and playing candy crush instead. She and Steve had an unspoken competition going on between them, and she was determined to reach level 3,000 before him.  
  
After about an hour, she reckoned she should head back. Although she mostly helped Jane, she was technically in charge of managing Tony and Bruce as well. Carefully unfolding herself from the incredibly comfortable chair, she winced as pins and needles raced up her legs. With a groan, she waited as she slowly regained feeling in her legs. Waving goodbye to the friendly barista, she slipped out the door and started back towards the tower. As soon as she was outside, the feeling returned. Darcy froze, unsure how to react. Natasha, Steve, and Clint were away on mission, radio silence. She could call Bruce or Tony, but chances were good they would either miss the call or way overreact. She didn’t want to be responsible for Iron Man suddenly flying in, blasters ready. She briefly considered Bucky, but as friendly as she was with the guy he still hadn’t spoken a word to her. She wasn’t one to judge, but figured it was his way of letting her know he wasn’t ready to be better friends yet.  
  
She hadn’t even actually seen anyone, but she couldn’t shake the feeling she was being watched. She did a slow 360, eyes darting to every nook and cranny she could spot. All she saw were busy New Yorkers, all in a rush to get wherever they needed to be. There weren’t even any suspicious vehicles, no vans or maintenance trucks. Shaking her head, she closed her eyes, laughing quietly under her breath as she thought about how stupid she must look right now. She kept her headphones off though, unable to ignore the somersaults her stomach was currently doing.  
  
***  
  
“That’s her.” Across the street from where Darcy stood, hidden behind the curtain of the third floor window, sat a man with a sniper rifle pointed at her. He tilted his head, listening to the orders coming through his earpiece. “Copy that sir. Engaging at will.”  
  
***  
  
Taking in one last cursory sweep, Darcy continued down the street. As she stepped in front of a narrow alley, her hand instinctively going to the slightly illegal taser in her bag, she felt a sudden pinprick. Reaching up, feeling as though she was in slow motion, Darcy plucked a small clear dart from her neck. “What the fuggh…” she said, words slurring. She stumbled, leaning against the building nearest to her as she tried to grab the base of her taser. A hand suddenly halted her motion, and she looked up into the eyes of Brock Rumlow. Fuck. Her eyes widened, mouth opening to scream, but she blacked out before she could make any sound.  
  
***  
  
“Target retrieval successful, sir. Rumlow has made contact and is currently escorting her to the car.” Standing up, the man in the apartment quickly disassembled his rifle, placing it in the empty bag next to him, his movements quick and precise. He scanned the room, ensuring every trace of evidence that could hint at his presence was gone. Pulling out a baseball cap, he swung his duffel bag over his shoulder and left the apartment. His posture shifted, now slumped and relaxed, no trace of the military training present moments ago. After exiting the apartment building, he hailed a taxi, careful to not look up and be caught on camera.  
  
***  
  
As soon as Darcy collapsed, Brock picked her up bridal style. Her purse and taser fell from her hand, and he considered them for a moment before kicking them under a nearby dumpster. While New Yorkers were used to seeing some odd things, he didn’t want to push his luck. He quickly walked down the alley, uncaring as Darcy’s head lolled to the side and hit the wall. Knocking on a door that looked as though it had been rusted shut, he double checked the entrance of the alley. It had been over quickly, not even a minute had passed since the shot had been fired. The tranquilizer dart had been destroyed, and the cameras would have already been wiped. The door swung open, and Brock stepped inside quickly. From there, they loaded Darcy into the trunk of a nondescript SUV, and Brock left to get back to the tower.  
  
An hour had passed since she had left the coffee shop. Darcy was now speeding down the interstate, unconscious and handcuffed in the back of a car. Her taser, purse, and phone lay abandoned under a dumpster, attracting only the attention of a lone rat. The shooter and Brock were back in the tower, having rejoined the rest of the STRIKE team as though nothing had happened. Jane was still buried deep in her paperwork, unaware that any time had even passed since Darcy had left. An hour had passed, and no one knew Darcy was missing.  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I’m back!! I’m so sorry for taking such a long break, but a huge thank you to all the positive comments, kudos, and bookmarks. It helped me get back to it. And sorry for such a short chapter! But i was just so excited to get back. Okay, enjoy!

It took JARVIS several tries before he managed to get Tony’s attention. “Sir,” the AI said, voice finally loud enough to penetrate through the haze Tony had surrounded himself in.  
Looking up as was now a habit anytime someone spoke to JARVIS, he replied, “what is it JARVIS?”  
  
“Sir, Miss Lewis left the building approximately 5 hours and 31 minutes ago. I tracked her phone, and the location had not moved in over 4 hours.”  
  
Tony was now alert, his eyes focused as he digested what JARVIS was saying. He spun on his heel and headed towards the elevator, shouting as he went “JARVIS, activate the emergency tracker in her jewelry, then contact the team, Jane, and Ms.Potts. Tell them to meet in the conference room.”  
  
“Yes, sir.”  
  
***  
  
“Tony, what the hell is going on?” Clint entered the room first, followed closely by the rest of the team. Tony sighed, heavy and drawn out, before sitting down and gesturing for everyone else to do the same.  
  
“Darcy is gone. She’s been out of the tower for at least 5 and a half hours, isn’t responding to phone calls, and I can’t locate any of the trackers she has.”  
  
The room erupted. Natasha and Clint were signing to one another too fast to be followed by anyone but Bruce, who had done nothing but grip Clint's thigh in response. Steve and Sam were shouting, each getting louder and louder as they threw questions at Tony, who flinched as though each question was a punch. Jane has broken into loud sobs, and Thor was busy consoling the scientist while seemingly trying to reign his own tears in. Pepper had simply moved closer to Sam and closed her eyes.  
  
Only Bucky hadn’t moved, hadn’t twitched. Suddenly, his vibranium arm slammed onto the table, small splinters flying as the room went silent. Every set of eyes was now on him, and for once he didn’t mind. Sam groaned, knowing that whatever Bucky said next was no doubt going to cause a lot more yelling.  
  
“No one is helping anything by yelling,” he growled, staring at the dent now in the table top.  
  
“No offense, buddy, but why do you even care? You haven’t even said anything to her since you’ve been here. You think she hasn’t noticed? She comments on it all the time, worried she’s doing something wrong or that you’re still mad about the safe room,” Tony snapped, glad to have a target to take his frustrations out on. No one else said anything, but the air was full of unspoken agreement.  
  
Closing his eyes, Bucky stood, pulling his shirt up to display his ribs. There, tattooed in place since the day he was born, were his words, so very clearly Darcy. Natasha gasped, her face paling more than anyone had ever witnessed before.  
  
“Nat?” Brice said, voice full of concern. Natasha didn’t respond, just continuing to stare at Bucky.  
  
“You’re positive?” she choked out.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Oh fuck,” she breathed. “Oh my god.”  
  
“What?” Tony growled. He was still trying to process the fact that Bucky was Darcy’s soulmate, as was everyone else in the room.  
  
“Her words. I saw them.”  
  
Bucky’s head snapped towards her, eyes full of fear. No one else in the room said anything, hardly daring to breath. Jane, tears still rolling down her face, leaned in closer. They had never seen the spy and super soldier look so scared, show so much emotion before. “What did they say, Natalia.” It wasn’t a question, merely a statement now devoid of all emotion.  
  
“It’s okay to be scared to speak.”  
  
The air seemed to rush out of everyone all at once. The only person who’s eyes weren’t filled with tears sat silent, metal fist clenched in front of him. 

The room was silent.  
  
***  
  
Memories were bubbling to the surface and Darcy held still, willing her fear not to shake her entire frame. Her cuffs, she had discovered, were attached to her bed frame by a long chain, and seemingly long enough to allow her walk around the room.  
  
Once she was sure that most of the panic had passed, she tried to remember her lessons with Natasha on kidnappings. Closing her eyes and breathing, she tried to center herself. She slowly moved each limb, making sure each one was there and functioning. Sitting up from what appeared to be an old mattress and what smelled like a frat house, she looked around again, this time focusing on any details that might clue her in to where she was or how to escape.  
  
She was in a small room, a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. A bucket sat in the corner, the smell alone informing her what that was meant to be used for. Next to it was the dirty water bottle she had noticed earlier. A rusted sink without a mirror was opposite her. Other than that, the room was empty. No windows to inform her of any clues to her location, and the door was the only clean thing in the room. Now that she was sure she wasn’t in any immediate danger, she looked down at herself.  
  
She was still wearing her sweater from this morning, and though her pants were ripped here and there, they appeared to still be in one piece. No assault then, aside from the obvious. Most of her jewelry was still on, with exception to her earrings. She shuddered at the thought of someone moving her hair out of the way, the idea seeming far too personal.  
  
The door abruptly swung open and she scrambled to the corner of the room, trying to remember all the things Nat had told her about fighting outnumbered in a small space. It wasn’t much.  
  
“Miss Lewis!” The man walked into the room, arms open wide as though he was her host and not her captor. Darcy said nothing, eyes wary. The man laughed, a startling sound in the small room. “You’re cautious. I like it. My name is Alexander.”  
  
“I know you.” Darcy spoke before she could think about the action. She winced, half expecting to be hit.  
  
“Good!” The man, who Darcy now knew to be Alexander Pierce exclaimed. “Then we can get straight to business.  
  
“And what business would that be?” Darcy was proud of how little her voice shook.  
  
“I want you,” he said, squatting down and looking her in the eyes, “to tell me everything there is to know about Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers, and the rest of the avengers. And if you’re helpful, then I’ll kill you fast.”  
  
“And if I don’t?”  
  
“Then you’ll wish I had.” Smiling once more, he stood back up and turned to leave, gesturing to someone outside of the room. A man stepped intot he room, and DArcy recognized him from the ALPHA strike force.   
  
"Rollins," she muttered darkly. A closed fist suddenly swung forward, slamming into her jaw. She let out a cry of pain, eyes filling with tears.  
"Shut the fuck up," he said. No more words were spoken, and Rollins stepped in closer. Darcy flinched, expecting another hit, and he laughed. Grabbing her wrists, he slowly unlocked the cuffs around her wrist. "Now," he said, stepping backwards. "You be good, and the cuffs stay off. Got it?" Darcy nodded, scared for the first time in her life to say anything. Grinning, Rollins stepped out of her cell and the door swung shut, the lock clicking ominously into place. Darcy was once again alone, and could no longer contain her panic. The air in her chest started to come too fast, a heavy weight settling on her chest as the room swam before her. “You’re okay, you’re okay…” she muttered, rocking back and forth, trying to control her breathing. “You’re okay. Help will come. It’s okay.”  
  
It had been 7 hours and 19 minutes since she had been kidnapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no beta so feel free to point out spelling, grammar, or any inaccuracies- I promise I won’t be offended!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, loves! I have so much I want to include in the next one, so I wanted to get some important stuff in this one. I hope you enjoy!

Steve ran his hand over his face, weariness etched into his face. After Natasha revealed Darcy’s soul mark, chaos had ensued. Jane has become hysterical, and Thor had enveloped her in a hug before carrying her back to their rooms, her shouts echoing long after she was gone. Almost everyone else had turned to Bucky, questions spilling out. Only Natasha and Sam had remained quiet, though both for different reasons.  
  
Eventually Steve had loudly clapped his hands, the sudden noise startling everyone into silence. Bucky has been clenching his jaw for the past fifteen minutes, and Steve wasn’t sure how much longer his best friend could take the onslaught of questions. He didn't know why Bucky had never told him about his soul mark, or that he knew who his soulmate was, but what had happened had happened. Now they needed to focus on getting Darcy back home safe. Jarvis was running every facial recognition software they had, and was also trying to locate the trackers in Darcy’s bracelet.  
  
Everyone had slowly left the conference room, Tony glaring at Bucky as he left. He and Steve had made their way back to their rooms, where Tony had shut himself in the bedroom, locking it behind him. Steve could simply have unlocked it with an override, but wanted to give Tony space.  
  
Natasha, Bruce, and Clint lay in a tangled mess in their bed, Bruce slowly running his fingers through Tasha’s hair. “So,” Clint said softly, as if afraid of scaring Natasha off, “that was a bit messy.” Natasha said nothing, simply curling closer into Bruce’s side. Bruce made eye contact with Clint, a few rapid signs thrown back and forth as they debated whether or not this was the time to have this conversation. Bruce, finally convincing Clint to leave it until tomorrow, burrowed further under the covers. Reaching over Bruce, Clint gripped Natasha's hand, squeezing three times._ I love you._  
  
***  
  
Darcy was drained of any fight that she might have had when she first woke up in her cell. After her panic attack had subsided, she had crawled back onto the musty mattress, a bone deep sort of tired settling in. But every time she got close to falling asleep, a loud siren would pierce the air. It felt like hours, but she had no way to track time. All she knew was that she felt like she was going crazy. At some point trays had begun to slide under the door, but she had eaten as little as possible, too afraid of being drugged.  
  
She had tried to talk to herself at first, but every time she did a loud whine split the air, leaving her ears ringing and her eyes watering. She had remained silent after the first few attempts. With no way to distract herself, and no chance of getting any sleep, she was able to try and figure out why exactly she had been kidnapped. Alexander Pierce’s words hadn’t made much since when he first said them, and they didn’t make sense now. How would she being here destroy the Avengers? Sure, she was friends with Tony and the others, but she couldn’t see any real reason besides that.  
  
The door to her cell abruptly swung open, an armed guard with his gun trained on her on the other side. Darcy snorted softly. It’s not like she even had the energy to run even if they gave her the chance. She wasn’t too sure if she could walk at the moment. She hadn’t eaten since the coffee shop, and a panic attack and sleep deprivation left a person with little spirit.  
  
The guard waved to someone she couldn’t see, and a man with a wheelchair came into view. Darcy couldn’t help the shiver of panic that ran up her spine. Although her cell wasn’t any fun to be in, she knew what to expect in it. But leaving it meant going somewhere unknown.  
  
Before she could do more than halfheartedly glare at the man, he pulled a gun out of his pocket and shot her. As Darcy pulled the needle out of her neck, her vision began to go black, and the last thing she saw was the man wheeling closer.  
  
***  
  
“Sir, there is a video that has been anonymously emailed to you. I am attempting to trace the origins now.” Tony sighed. He had been awake almost as long as Darcy had been missing, which was nearing a week. Every time he attempted to get any sleep, he had terrible flashbacks to his own time being kidnapped. Steve tried to help, but he was also rattled by Darcy’s disappearance and the lack of answers.  
  
“Is it important, J?”  
  
“I believe it is of the utmost importance, Sir.”  
  
Tony looked up, the bags under his eyes prominent and hands shaking from being over caffeinated. “Play it.”  
  
The video began, grainy and obviously old. It was a street, and with a sinking feeling Tony recognized it. It was the road his parents had been killed on. His heart in his stomach, he watched as a grainy image of a man with a shiny arm crashed his parents car. He watched, hardly breathing, as Bucky Barnes murdered his parents.__


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope everyone is staying safe during this crazy time. Thank you for the kudos and comments!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not, unfortunately, own any of these characters.

There was no air was in his lungs. Gasping, Tony slid to the floor, his vision blurring as he clawed at his chest. He could hear a voice, but it was too garbled to understand. He didn't know how much time was passing, unable to focus on anything other than the crushing weight he felt on his chest.

Then a voice pierced through the haze. “-lease, Tony, just take a deep breath.” A warm hand pressed against his chest, forcing him to take a breath in. “Good, that's good,” Steve murmured, brow furrowed as he looked at Tony. JARVIS had alerted him that “Sir was in incredible distress.” He had dropped everything and ran to the lab, not knowing what to expect. He shifted Tony around so he was cradling Tony between his legs, arms wrapped tightly around his chest as he helped Tony breath. They sat like that until Tony's breathing became more normal, no longer gasping for air. Just as Steve was about to ask what had happened, Tony burst into tears, turning to bury his face in Steve's shirt. Startled, Steve held him close, whispering sweet nothings in his ear as Tony sobbed.

Steve was incredibly concerned. Tony, while more willing to show Steve his true emotions than others, still kept things hidden. This was pure, raw emotion, and Steve vowed that whatever had made him sob like this, he would destroy. Slowly, Tony’s sobs slowed, only the occasional sniffle interrupting the silence that had fallen over the lab. “Tony,” Steve said softly, “what happened. Talk to me.” Tony merely buried his head further into Steve's shoulder.

“JARVIS. Play the video.” His voice was muffled, but the murmured command was quickly acknowledged by JARVIS. Steve grabbed his phone, and watched with baited breath as the video of his best killing his soulmates parents played on his phone.

***

It felt like months since that last day in the tower, with no concerns over anything other than what coffee to get, or how much Jane had eaten that day. The first time she had been taken to the room with the chair and strapped down, she had screamed herself hoarse. But that only brought more punishment, and she soon learned that keeping her mouth closed and her whimpers small made it better. She was now allowed to sleep, but only for short intervals. Her skin was covered in bruises and burns, her mind exhausted, and any hope of rescue she had once had was now beaten out of her.

Sometimes she was taken to a padded room instead of the room with the chair. There, members of what she had eventually realized was Alpha squad, would take turns beating her, all while calling it “practice for the field.” She got better at dodging the blows, but never attempted to strike back. She knew it wouldn't have ended well.  
Pierce had made her watch countless videos of Bucky, killing target after target. It seemed that she was taking the wrath of Pierce for loosing his favorite play toy, but she tried to never give him the satisfaction of crying, or begging for release. They asked her questions, about the how the team functioned together, which soulmate bonds seemed weaker then others. She had responded verbally the first few times, but soon learned this brought more pain. She wasn’t sure why they didn’t want her speaking until she glimpsed a unspoken soulmate tattoo on one of the masked men who wheeled her from her cell to the room with the chair. She only caught the word ‘Tony Stark’, but it was enough to get her to understand. They didn't want her speaking because they were afraid she would be someones soulmate.

She began finger spelling any answer she gave, which was often in the form of a string of curse words. This didn’t cause the same reaction as speaking did, but her captors were never pleased that she refused to answer their questions. It seemed to be an endless cycle, with a schedule she never managed to figure out. The periods of the time between leaving her cell soon became all she looked forward to. While she might not be able to sleep, she was given her own space, food, and water. She had stopped worrying about being drugged through the scraps she was given after the fifth tranquilizer dart.

Sometimes she dreamed that she was being rescued, that Tony or Nat would come crashing through the door to cell and take her far, far away. But soon, even those dreamed left her. She no longer believed she would be rescued. She had taken off all the jewelry she had been left with after a while. It was too painful to look at them, remember when she had been given them, who had given them to her.

One day, there was no wheelchair or tranq dart. Instead, Pierce came in and explained his plan, and in great detail. He was actually a quite boring person to listen to, often going on random tangents before remembering what his point was. “I feel, Miss Lewis, that it would be remiss of me not to explain exactly what you are doing here. You see,” he said, beginning to pace the small confines of her cell, “I was, and still am incredibly frustrated that we lost the Asset. Of course, good things can’t last forever, but this one seemed like it would thanks to the brilliant development of cryochambers.” Here he went on to explain the exact science behind said cryochamber, and exactly how HYDRA had gotten their hands on it. Darcy zoned out a bit, but refocused as soon as he looked at her. It was something she had learned to do after the second time he had caught her staring off into space, and the punishment for it guaranteed she never made that mistake again.

“Of course, that is unimportant. The important thing was the chamber. It meant one super soldier could last us decades. Which is good, as we struggled to reproduce the exact process of what happened to the Asset. Now, this is where you come into play.” He turned to her, shivering on her mattress, hair matted and face gaunt. “When we learned from inside sources that the Asset was not only inside Stark tower, but friendly with the Avengers, we knew we had to grasp this opportunity. The only problem was that he never left the Tower. Until we learned of you, Miss Lewis. A weak link in the seemingly indestructible chain wrapped around the Asset. Now, I know what you're thinking. Why on earth do you matter? And you don't, not really. You are merely a small puzzle piece needed to complete the puzzle. You see,” he said, a dangerous glint in his eyes, “I am angry.” Here he paused, seemingly lost in thought.

‘Why?’ Darcy finally signed, tired of the silence.

“Because, Miss Lewis,” he snapped, coming in closer, “the Asset is my property. And I want it back. Darcy blinked. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn't the level of crazy now seeming to radiate from Pierce. “I have poured billions, BILLIONS, into that thing. It is mine and I will have it back.” He suddenly stepped back, a calm falling over his features, the insanity he had been exuding moments earlier seemingly gone. “I will get him back, Miss Lewis. The video I have sent will destroy the team from the inside out, and then they will discover this base. But the Asset will remember this place. And it will come alone, because you are his friend and it will have no one. Full of guilt, an emotion we fully intend to relive it of, it will show up here. And here we will be waiting. We will get the Asset back Miss Lewis. And when we do,” he whispered, once again coming in close, Darcy able to smell the stench of his cologne, “we will no longer need you.” He grinned, eyes full of pure joy. Darcy couldn't help but flinch a little at that, which only made Pierce grin harder. Good day, Miss Lewis.” He spun on his heel and strode out of the room.

The door slammed shut and her single light bulb went out. She was once again alone with nothing more than her thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Enjoy
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters

“Mr. Barnes, the Captain has requested you join him in the conference room.” Bucky pauses his workout and instinctively glances at the ceiling.

“Tell him I’m on my way,” he grunted, sweat dripping as he unwrapped his hand, the cracks in his skin already beginning to heal. He had taken to spending most of his days in the gym, and everyone seemed content to leave him to it. There had been a few conversations with Steve and Sam about the soul mark and why he had kept it private, but no one else in the team had brought it up. Not that he saw them much. They spent their days huddled in Stark's lab, as though staring at the screen and constantly asking JARVIS for updates would speed the process along. Not that he didn’t keep track of the progress. Every morning, like clockwork, he would wake from his restless sleep and ask for an update. The answer the AI gave him never changed - no new information, no location.

He had been reaching out to a few contacts he still had, trying to see if anyone had heard anything. Nothing helpful had been reported yet. Deciding to forgo the shower, Bucky left the gym and entered the elevator, nodding to a couple guys on the ALPHA strike team. He had trained with them a few times, but the team leader Brock gave him an unsettling feeling. He could never tell if that was just him being paranoid or not, so hadn’t said anything, simply changing his schedule. The elevator paused and Brock turned to Bucky, giving him a mocking salute before leaving the elevator, his team members sneering as they filed out behind him. Bucky was used to it. Once people realized that he didn’t remember anything from his time as the Winter Soldier, they became a lot less fearful of him. To him, this made no sense. He didn’t have the memories, but still had his training. If anything, he was more dangerous now that he had free will.

He sighed as the doors slid shut and it resumed its path upwards. The conference room the Avengers used was the top floor, the gym three below. Sighing as he exited the elevator, he wondered what Steve would want to discuss with him. It’s not like they had talked much lately, but summoning him via JARVIS still seemed extreme. “Hey, Steve,” he said as he entered the room, noting that Tony was also in the room. He looked frail, something Bucky had never seen before. “What is it, did you find Darcy? Is she okay?” He grilled the back of the chair closest to him, his fingers nearly breaking the leather. “No, Buck, we didn’t. But Tony received an email today. With a video.” Bucky nodded slowly, still not understanding what this had to do with him. Steve sighed, glancing at Tony before hitting play on his tablet. The video began to play, the screen behind Steve seeming far too large for the grainy images flashing across it. Bucky watched, frozen in place, as he killed Maria and Howard Stark.

***

Darcy hadn’t seen Pierce since he had delivered his monologue in her cell. Now that he had explained the purpose of her being there, she had come to the conclusion that it didn’t matter if she answered the questions they asked or not. She would still be hit, stabbed, electrocuted. And in the end, they would kill her. She was simply a pawn in their game, and she was tired of playing along. Now when she was wheeled into the room with the chair or the room with the padding, she simply floated away in her mind. She knew what she was doing was dissociating. It never pleases her captors, watching as she barely flinched anymore from the pain. Of course, this was also due to the fact that her pain tolerance had skyrocketed during her stay there. Her only hope anymore was that the Avengers never found her.

***

Bucky was on his hands and knees, trembling. A puddle of throw up was to the left, and Bucky wiped his hands across his face. “I didn’t… I don’t remember,” he whispered, staring at the hands that had killed his friend. “How could I-“ he stopped, shocked to find tears streaming down his face. He pulled himself up, still not looking at Steve or Tony. “I can leave,” he mumbled, voice breaking. “I would understand…” his voice trailed off, eyes locked on floor. He heard Tony stand up, murmuring assurance to Steve as his footsteps slowly got closer to Bucky. Bucky shut his eyes, bracing himself for the hit he was sure would come. Instead, he suddenly felt Tony’s arms wrap around him. He was hugging him? Bucky could barely understand what was going on. “Why?” He gasped, confusion obvious in his tone.

“Because you knew him too.”

“You don’t blame me?”

“No, Bucky. I’m so sorry you had to watch that, but I thought you should know. It hurts, but I know you can’t remember” Bucky nodded, still not quite getting what was happening. Steve hadn't known what to expect either, and let of a sharp breath, relived that Tony wasn’t angry. Tony pulled away, determination settling into his features. “There are a few things the video told us,” he stated, walking back to the table. “For one, this video was an obvious ploy to divide the team. Making Steve choose between me or Bucky, sending it when its reached a month since Darcy has gone missing, it cant be a coincidence.” Steve and Bucky nodded their agreement, neither wanting to imagine what would have happened if Tony had been angry.

“The fight would have been brutal,” Steve commented, brow furrowed.

“Exactly,” said Tony, fingers moving rapidly over the keyboard. “JARVIS is getting closer to tracking the bracelet, which is good because the email contained a Trojan horse meant to hack our system. If we were only looking at the email and didn't have the bracelet, we wouldn't have caught it in time. Now we can back trace it and, at the very least, figure out the general area of where the email was sent from.”

“Sir," JARVIS said, sounding as concerned as an AI could sound, "I have managed to locate the origin of the email.”

“Where was it?”

“Here, Sir.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! I love cliffhangers. More chapters coming soon, and thank you all for the comments and kudos. They help so much and are so fun to read!
> 
> ALSO - I totally get it if you don't agree with how Tony reacted to the news. However, in canon, part of why he was angry was the feeling of betrayal by Steve, along with the fact that his parents were murdered. However, in my universe, Tony gets how Bucky's memories are lost, and that any actions he did were not of his own free will. Please keep any comments kind! Constructive criticism is always welcome, but mean remarks are not.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Enjoy
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters

“JARVIS, contact the rest of the team and Jane Foster. Then initiate the ‘Someone Hurt Me’ protocol.” Tony turned to Steve and Bucky, all traces of emotion gone from their faces. No matter what was happening in their personal lives, this was now a mission. “We have a mole,” Tony said, fingers flying over his keyboard as he frowned in concentration. “They have high security clearance, its the only reason I didn’t spot the leak sooner. Dammit!” he shouted, banging his hand on the table. Steve reached out and cradled Tony's face gently between his hands.

Tony,” he said softly, forcing him to meet his eyes. “This isn't your fault. No one blames you. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."

“Sir, the team has been contacted and they are on their way. Doctor Banner and Agents Romanoff and Barton were off base but will arrive shortly. I have enacted the protocol, but am getting numerous complaints filed by civilians, low level agents, and ALPHA strike team.” Tearing his eyes away from Steve, Tony turned back to his screens, taking a deep breath.

“Alright. All civilians and people with low level security clearance can be slowly shuffled down the floors, but don't let them leave yet. And have all the high security clearance agents meet on the 62nd level.”

“Wait,” Bucky said, stepping forward, “the ALPHA team?” Steve and Tony both turned to look at him, confusion evident on their faces. “Don't you think its odd that the most lethal team in the tower are the only high level agents complaining about the lock down?” They both paused, contemplating the implications of that.

“Do you think they might be behind this?” asked Steve, glancing between the two of them.

“Is who behind this? And why is there throw up on the ground?” Jane asked as she and Thor entered the room. Tony glanced at Bucky, the unasked question hanging in the air. Bucky gave a slight nod, and Tony turned the the couple, quickly recounting everything that had happened in the past twenty minutes, including their new suspicions abut the ALPHA strike team. Both Jane and Thor were silent for a moment, before Jane walked forward and wrapped Tony in a big hug. He froze, unable to stop the shock he felt from flitting across his face. Hesitantly, he leaned down slightly and returned the hug, the smaller scientist, squeezing him once before letting him go and standing back. Thor, now grinning broadly, also swept Tony up into a hug, his feet dangling as the massive god let out a loud chuckle. Steve, Bucky, and Jane couldn’t help but laugh at the stupefied look on Tony's face. Jane raised an eyebrow at Bucky, opening her arms invitingly. The assassin stepped backwards, a true look of fear flitting across his face at the idea of a hug. This set them all off again, until the bubble of happiness was popped by JARVIS.

“Sir, all low level security clearance and civilians have been moved to the first eight floors, but no one has left. All high clearance level agents are now on both the 61st and 62nd floor. The group broke apart, Jane and Thor looking at the other three.

“What should we do about the ALPHA team?” asked Tony, arms crossed as he turned to Steve, who gave him a thankful smile. People always forgot that he was a seasoned war strategist, and that his title wasn't all for looks.

“We should keep them as divided as possible. They could be dangerous together. We also don't want to give them any hint that something is amiss.”

“Create an enemy,” Bucky suggested. Just as Steve was about to comment, Sam, Natasha, Clint, and Bruce walked in. They also looked questioningly at the pile of vomit, but with a sharp shake of his head Steve drew their attention to the screens which now displayed every member of the ALPHA team. He quickly caught them up on what had happened, leaving out what the video had contained for now.

“I never liked those guys,” Sam remarked, rocking back on his heels. “Always gave me the creeps.” Clint nodded his agreement as Natasha stalked forward.

“Brock Rumlow and Jack Rollins,” she said, jabbing her finger at the screen. “Those two are not only close friends, but the strongest members of the strike team. If we think something is going on with them, we need to keep them as far apart as possible.”

“How are we going to separate an entire team?” Asked Clint. “We have them all split between two floors right now, but they're with dozens of other high level personal. If we do anything that tips them off, not only do they have potential hostages, they also have human shields.” He continued. Looking to Bucky, Steve gestured to him to continue what he was saying before the interruption.

“Look, ALPHA team is the best. We’ve even worked with them before. The agents they may be with are high clearance, but not all are field agents. In fact, with so many smaller missions going on right now, most are scientists and other essential personal. We create an enemy, have everyone except highest level field agents go to safe rooms, then split up the team.” Steve nodded in agreement, understanding settling in. “Then, we can split up and take them down one by one.” The rest of the team nodded in agreement.

“How can we be sure its them?” Asked Jane, her voice small in comparison to the rest. “I just mean - Sorry.” She looked sheepishly down at her shoes, but Thor stepped forward.

“My Jane is right. How are we certain these men are the ones we should be going after?”

“JARVIS?” Tony said, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

“As you thought, Sir. After making my way through several levels of decryption, the email has been confirmed to have originated from Mr. Brock Rumlows phone.”

“Alright,” exclaimed Tony, clapping his hands together, “that settles it. Lets get started.”

***

A blaring alarm split the air, and everyone jumped into action. Rumlows phone buzzed, and he glanced down to see it was an encrypted message from the Avengers. “Alright, boys!” He yelled, wading through the crowd of scientists running for the safe rooms. “We’re up!” Four of his eight team members imminently appeared at his side, waiting for orders. “Wheres the rest of you? And where the hell is Rollins?” He barked, surveying them with cold eyes.

“They got back later then us boss, they were last shift for Pierce. They said they're a floor down.” Well, we got orders, so we can’t wait for them to catch up with us.” Cooper said quickly. “Whats the op, boss?” Glancing down at his phone, Rumlow quickly decyrypted it.

“We’ve got ourselves intruders, boys. Looks like all but the two frozen super soldiers are off base, so they're calling in back up. Bailey, Cooper, Evans, take the back stairs. Nelson, you're with me at the elevator. Cap and Winter Soldier are on the roof already, and we’re heading up there after we clear the floors.”

“What about Rollins, Louis, and Walker?” Asked Nelson.

“They'll be behind us.” With that, Rumlow headed to the elevator with Nelson and the other three started towards the stairs.

Unbeknownst to them, the Avengers and Jane watched them split up, satisfaction on each of their faces. “There they go,” whispered Clint.

“Alright, everyone, you know where you're supposed to be. Tony, you sure you're good staying up here with Dr. Foster and Banner?” Tony glanced at Steve, giving him a small grin before turning back to his tablet.

“I’m getting closer to tracking Darcy's bracelet, and I’m also having JARVIS go back through the past month of street camera footage to try and see if any of them went somewhere suspicious. Besides, if they somehow manage to get up here we don't need a code green.” Nodding in agreement, Steve grabbed his shield and nodded to Natasha, Thor, Clint, Bucky, and Sam.

“Here we go.” He said in his Captain America voice.

“Onward!” Boomed Thor as he led them out.

***

Several hundred feet under ground in a locked cell, a simple looking silver bracelet sat under a dirty mattress. Suddenly, a small green light flickered on. Then it beeped. Once, twice, three times.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Enjoy
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters
> 
> Thanks to my friend for making this legible!

Rumlow and Nelson crept towards the elevator, listening for any odd sounds to alert them if there was anyone inside. They had done this a thousand times, and knew how the other would react before they did anything. Clearing the elevator, they directed JARVIS to take them to the roof. “There has been an intrusion detected on the 68th floor. Would you like to go there?” asked the AI. Rumlow considered it for a moment before nodding sharply. He wasn’t sure why, but something was telling him to pay closer attention. What was bothering him? He paused a moment, listening hard. There was a small rustling sound from above their heads. He put his finger to his lips, gesturing upwards to Nelson. Nelson nodded, quickly removing the safety from his 9mm pistol. Rumlow counted down with his fingers - 3...2… Before he hit one the ceiling of the elevator crashed in, a bright flash filling the space, two bodies dropping in. Brock and Nelson began to fight in earnest, but through the clouds of debris could hardly see who it was they were fighting. Within a minute, both men lay unconscious on the ground.

“That was fun,” Clint said, a smirk on his face. Natasha said nothing, securing both men before signaling to JARVIS. As arranged beforehand, he had stopped the elevator as soon as the two spies had dropped in. He now resumed the elevator, but headed down instead of up. They had special cells designed to hold high risk prisoners built underneath the tower, which no one but the Avengers knew about. None of them were convinced that they would be able to get anything out of the ALPHA team, but for Darcy, all were more than willing to try.

***

Darcy wasn’t sure what woke her up at first. It wasn’t the siren, or the door to the cell opening. She didn’t move, not wanting to give away that she was awake quite yet. She focused, only the sound of her own ragged exhales filling her cell. Then she heard it, a barely perceptible beep coming from under the mattress.. She laid there, hardly daring to breath. The only thing under her mattress was the bracelet that Tony had given her what felt like a lifetime ago. She remembered what he had said when she opened it._ “Keep it close, Darcy. You never know when a bracelet might save your life.”_ In a flash, she understood. Tony must have a tracker in her bracelet. She barely managed to stifle her sob, relief ripping through her as she gained hope for the first time in as long as she could remember.  
***__

_ _Sam and Bucky inched down the hallway, listening as Rollins and two of his men's voices echoed in the stairway. “We need to draw their attention in here,” Sam whispered. Bucky looked at him for a moment, then swung around and slammed his hand through a nearby wall. Sam grinned, shaking his head. “Tony is going to kill you for that.” Bucky merely shrugged, then nodded to the stairwell door, where it had gone completely silent. Bucky could still hear their breathing, slowly getting louder as they crept forwards Bucky nodded once to Sam, and they both turned back around the corner. They waited as the door swung open, the men nearly silent as they left the stairwell._ _

_ _Lewis had the unfortunate luck to clear the corner first, and was met with Bucky's fist. Rollins and Walker immediately started firing, ducking into a storage closet to take cover. Bucky led, barreling straight for Rollins. The wiry man let out a surprised yelp, but quickly regained his balance, ducking Bucky's punches and throwing a few of his own. Sam dove in close to Walker, knocking his gun away before kicking him backwards. Walker stumbled backwards, a murderous look on his face as he and Sam began exchanging blows. The only sound in the hallway was grunts as all four men fought. Then, without warning, Rollins pulled a knife and spun low on his heel, thrusting the blade upwards into Sams ribs._ _

_ _With a pained groan, Sam fell to one knee, clutching his side, the knife still lodged in place. Bucky quickly pulled him backwards, bearing the brunt of both Rollins and Walkers attacks. Reaching down, he grabbed the gun dropped by Louis and turned, his face blank. Both Rollins and Walker paused, fear suddenly filling their veins like ice. That wasn't the face of the Bucky Barnes they knew, this was a face they had seen only in photos. The face of the Winter Soldier. Firing quickly at their kneecaps, both men fell, letting out strangled yelps. Bucky chucked their guns away and knocked them out with two swift punches before running back to Sam. A puddle of blood lay next to him, and his breathing was shallow. “JARVIS, alert the med bay and tell Thor to come pick up the trash.” Leaning down, Bucky picked up Sam bridal style and left without looking back._ _

_ _***_ _

_ _Steve and Thor had just finished zip-tying three of Rumlow’s men when JARVIS relayed Bucky's message. “Captain, Mr. Thor, Mr. Barnes has requested one of you to assist the cleanup of the rest of the team on the 65th floor. Mr. Wilson was gravely injured during the ambush and has been rushed to the med bay.” Steve glanced at Thor, who nodded at him gravely._ _

_ _“I will deal with these insects, Captain. Go to your friend.” Steve nodded his thanks before running to the elevator, telling JARVIS to inform Bucky that he was on his way. Wishing the elevator would move faster, Steve paced the small space. By the time he arrived at the med bay floor, he almost wished he had taken the stairs. Rushing down the hallway, he spotted Bucky, standing alone outside one of the operating rooms._ _

_ _“How bad?” Asked Steve, trying to read Bucky's face._ _

_ _“He’ll live. Rollins got him in the ribs. He lost a lot of blood but I got him up here in time.” Steve's entire frame sagged in relief. He leaned against the wall, taking in Bucky's posture._ _

_ _“It isn't your fault, Buck.”_ _

_ _“It feels like it,” he muttered darkly._ _

_ _“He's a good fighter Buck. It could have happened to anyone.”_ _

_ _“But it didn't,” said Bucky, expression dark. He turned, calling over his shoulder as he went. “I’ll be with the prisoners.” Steve sighed. He knew nothing apart from seeing Sam awake would make him feel better, so it looked like he was about to go and try to beat the guilt out of his system._ _

_ _“I got it!” Yelled Tony, startling Jane and Bruce._ _

_ _“Got what?” Asked Jane, not looking away from the screen transmitting the feed from Sams med room._ _

_ _“Darcy, I have her location.” Jane whipped around, eyes wild._ _

_ _“You what?” she sputtered._ _

_ _“I was able to hack Rumlow’s phone and find the original copy of the video, which must have been sent to him. Between running tracking programs on the email, him and his team’s locations the past month, and Darcy’s bracelet, I was able to locate her.” Jane squealed before wrapping the scientist in a hug._ _

_ _“Thank you,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you so much.”_ _

_ _“Okay,” said Tony. “Jane, I need you to go to the med bay and relieve Steve at Sam's bedside. JARVIS, let the rest of the team know we have Darcy’s location, and to suit up. Banner, we might need a doctor.” Bruce looked up, a grim smile on his face._ _

_ _“Or a code green,” he said. Tony raised his eyebrows slightly, but nodded._ _

_ _“Lets go.”_ _


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! I hope you enjoy. As always, comments and kudos are always appreciated. 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these amazing characters

Brock regained consciousness abruptly, immediately taking in his surroundings. His arms and legs were bound by steel cuffs to the chair he was currently sitting in, a metal table in front of him. A large mirror was opposite him, and a door was to his left. He snorted. He wasn't sure what was going on, but anyone who thought that trying to intimidate him for information was going to work was an idiot. Flashes of what had led to his current situation flashed through his mind. He frowned, feeling slightly worried for the first time since he awoke. Why would the Avengers raid his elevator? What would have triggered such a response - the email.

Rumlow groaned, eyes falling shut as he pieced it together. Pierce had been so paranoid about sending the email from the base where they were holding the girl, he had made Rumlow send the email from his phone while in the tower. The levels of encryption on it had seemed unnecessary at the time, but now he wished there had been more. He hadn't sent the email all that long ago. Stark must have gotten through the security on it faster then they thought possible. He was so screwed, if not by the Avengers, then definitely by Pierce. He considered his options. Trying to escape didn't look possible, the cuffs seemed to be made of vibranium, strong enough to hold the Captain. Negotiation, maybe. He knew where the girl was being held, and was far enough up the food chain that he knew some of the major players still left in HYDRA. That didn't seem like a good option either.

Even if he managed to make a deal, Pierce undoubtedly had a way to get to him at some point. He sighed, shaking his head, the internal conflict clear on his face. He had absolutely no good options left on the table. And considering he had never seen this room before, he was willing to bet his left kidney that it was a secret detention center for criminals that the Avengers captured. When the door clicked Rumlow squared his shoulders, pasted a smirk on his face, and began to hum. He was out of options, out of luck, and most certainly out of time, so what did he have to lose?

***

Bucky stood completely still as the elevator descended, taking him to the sub-level detention level. All he could see on repeat was the knife, Sam falling, Rollins’ smirk. He should have been faster, taken the knife wound. A stab in the ribs would have hurt like a bitch, but at least he would have healed quickly. He frowned slightly, anger rolling off him in waves. The doors slid open and he stalked forward, ignoring the cells full of Rumlow’s men on either side of him. JARVIS had informed him that only Rumlow and Rollins were being held in the interrogation rooms, and that no one had gone in and spoken to them yet. Finally reaching the end of the hallway, he swung open the door to the control room. Both Clint and Natasha looked up, hardly surprised to see him there.

“Rumlow just woke up,” Natasha informed him, glancing at the screen behind her. It was filled with the camera feeds from all the cells, Rollins’ and Rumlow’s in the center.

“Good,” growled Bucky.

“Wait,” Clint said, eyes darting between Natasha and Bucky. “We already know they aren't going to tell us anything. Why are we even bothering?”

“Because that piece of shit,” said Bucky, finger jabbing at the screen, “stabbed Sam. And the other one, he sent the email reminding me I’m guilty of killing one of my friends. Not to mention both of them most likely know where Darcy is. Is that enough for you?” Clint’s attention was now focused solely on Bucky, his face hardening.

“That fucker stabbed Sam? Is he okay?” Bucky grimaced but nodded.

“I have no objections,” Natasha said quietly.

“Me either.” Bucky flashed a cold smile.

“I take Rumlow, you two take Rollins?” As soon as Clint and Natasha agreed, Bucky headed to the interrogation room containing Rumlow.   
***

Steve sat by Sam’s beside, the Troubleman soundtrack playing quietly in the background. The doctors had said Sam’s prognosis was good, the knife missing all major organs and wouldn’t have any long term side effects. A groan sounded, and Steve turned to look at his best friend. “Hey, don’t try to move too much or you’ll pull the stitches.” Steve said, pressing the button on the side of the bed to call the doctor in. Sam grimaced but nodded, his hand pressing gently to his side.

“What happened after I went down?” he muttered.

“Bucky got you out of there after taking down the last two guys, carrying you all the way here. You lost a lot of blood, but the doc said you should be okay.”

“Indeed, Mr. Wilson, you were very lucky.” Both men looked up as the doctor entered, a kind looking woman in her fifties.

“Hey Dr. Betchal,” Steve said, smiling.

“We were able to repair all the damage the knife caused, which was a little more then usual given that it was serrated and he twisted it. There was also some poison on the blade, but given that it was a fairly well known compound, we were able to get the antidote in with plenty of time to spare.” Sam nodded, his mouth suddenly dry at the thought of how close it had been. There was suddenly shouting in the hallway, Peppers voice shrill and loud.

“Where is he?”

“Ms. Potts, please calm down.”

“You tell me where my soulmate is, now.” Steve grinned, popping his head out the door.

“Pepper!” he called, waving at her. “We’re in here. He just woke up.” Pepper turned away from the frazzled nurse, her face streaked with tears. She practically ran towards him, pulling Steve into a long hug before stepping into the room.

“Hey, Pep.” Sam said softly, holding his hand out to her. She walked forward, slowly taking in the bandages over his ribs and the rasp in his voice. Clutching his hand, she let out a sob of relief.

“Don’t you ever do that again.” He pressed his forehead against hers, his breath catching. Steve and Dr. Betchal left the room quietly, closing the door behind them.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's rescue Darcy time! 
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated.

Bucky stood before Rumlow, fist clenching unconsciously. He studied the man before him. He looked unconcerned at this most recent turn of events, almost relaxed. Bucky wasn’t sure why, but it sounded like he was humming ‘Shake It off’ by Taylor Swift, one of Darcy’s favorite songs. “Well,” said Rumlow, breaking the tension filled silence. “I assume you're here to ask me some questions.” Bucky tilted his head, studying the man before him.

“No,” he said, his voice void of any emotion. Rumlow looked vaguely surprised, but quickly schooled his expression.

“No, huh? Then I got to ask what I’m doing here.” Bucky stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Rumlow.

“Did you know I have a soulmate?” he said, almost conversationally. Rumlow was clearly confused by this turn of events, but said nothing. “I found out a couple months ago. Never said anything to her though.” Rumlow had begun to sweat, uncomfortable at where this conversation was heading. Bucky was now directly in front of him, palms laying flat on the metal table in between them. “Darcy Lewis,” he hissed, no longer shrouding his anger, “is my soulmate.” Rumlow flinched, the look in Barnes’ face like nothing he had ever seen before. Before he could even register the movement, his face was whipping backwards, pain exploding across his cheekbone. Bucky punched him again, the only sound in the room metal against flesh.

“I didn't - I didn't know,” Rumlow gasped, truly afraid now.

“Now you do,” Bucky said, his voice hardly raised. “Not to mention, your little buddy Rollins stuck his knife where it didn't belong. Some friends of mine are paying him a similar visit at the moment." Bucky walked around the table to land another punch, this time to the gut. Rumlow leaned over as much as the cuffs allowed, gasping for air. Bucky paused, listening as JARVIS relayed information through his earpiece. He grinned, the action almost feral on his face.

“I can tell you where she is, how to get there,” Rumlow begged, both eyes swollen, nose obviously broken.

“No need, looks like we just found her all on our own. Brock groaned, eyes falling shut as he realized just how screwed he truly was. Another swift right hook to the stomach and Rumlow could hear his ribs break. “Now, I have a soulmate to rescue,” said Bucky, back already turned. “You can stay here, contemplate your life choices.” Rumlow watched as the door swung shut behind the Winter Soldier, and the lights suddenly turned off. Natasha and Clint stepped into the hallway the same time as Bucky, the slumped figure of Rollins just barely visible as the door closed behind them.

“JARVIS told you Tony found her?” said Bucky, a genuine smile lighting up his face. Natasha nodded, taking in the blood dripping from his left hand.

“Bucky,” she said, her voice cautious, “you need to be prepared for what we might find. They’ve had Darcy for over a month now. And remember her soulmark.” Bucky paused, a shadow crossing his face. He sighed heavily, running his non-bloodied hand over his face.

“I know, Nat. But I have to hope for the best or I don’t know what I might do.” Natasha exchanged a look with Clint before nodding.

“Lets go,” she said, and the three headed to the elevator.

***

Jane ran out of the elevator, hardly waiting for the charge nurse to shout Sam's room number at her before she was off again. Pausing just outside the door, she took a deep breath, not wanting to stress Pepper or Sam out more than they already were. She knocked lightly before opening the door, stepping into the darkened room. Steve looked up as she entered, his finger already pressed against his lips as he pointed to Peppers sleeping figure by Sam's bed. Jane nodded, then waved at Steve to follow her. He looked slightly confused, but followed her nonetheless. Him and the small scientist were not close by any means, but had become more friendly since Darcy's disappearance. Jane was waiting for him outside, anxiously pacing back and forth.

“Jane? Is everything okay?” Jane looked up at Steve's voice, a large grin threatening to overtake her features.

“Tony found her, Steve.” Steve's breath caught in his chest, and he couldn't help but sweep the women in front of him into a crushing hug. Jane squeaked, surprised, but returned it gratefully. “He said I was to come down here and take over Sam duty, while you get suited up and meet him on the quinjet. Steve let her down gently, a serious look now settling into his features.

“We’ll bring her back, Jane. I promise.” Jane merely nodded, her grin now a tight lipped smile. She watched as she hurried down the hall and around the corner before daring to whisper her fears.

“I know. But will it be all of her you bring back?”

***

Thor, Bucky, Clint, Steve, and Natasha all reached the quinjet at the same time. Clint was sporting his new bow and arrows Tony had made him, and Natasha was visibly carrying three of the seven knives Tony had created out of vibranium for her. As they entered the quinjet, Tony turned to look at them, no trace of humor on his face. “Let's bring home Darcy safe,” he said quietly. No more words were exchanged, and the team strapped in as they took off.

***

“Sir?” Pierce turned and looked at the nervous looking man standing before him. “What is it,” he barked. “S-sorry sir,” the man stuttered, wringing his hands. “It’s just that the ALPHA team hasn't checked in in almost three hours, and the next shift of Rumlow and his men never arrived. Pierce scowled, and the man in front of him backed up further, stammering more apologies. “I want this base locked down!” He yelled, looking at the HYDRA agents surrounding him. Return the girl to her cell, chain her up and knock her out. Remove all guards from in front of her cell. If this is what I think it is, I don’t want any indications of where she is.” The agents around him shouted a loud ‘Yes, Sir!’ before jumping into action. Pierce rubbed his eyebrows, then headed to his office. If the Avengers truly were onto him, he needed to destroy as much evidence as possible.

***

They had been flying in silence for thirty minutes before Tony interrupted it. “Five minutes out.” The quinjet was now full of the sounds of last minute weapon and parachute checks and small words of comfort traded between soulmates. Bucky stood to the side, feeling the sudden need to pray for the first time since he fell from the train. He looked up as Thor settled in beside him.

“We will find her, Barnes.” Bucky said nothing, simply checking his knives and guns again. Thor walked away to talk to Bruce, who was looking slightly nervous about joining the fight. From across the plane, Steve and Buck made eye contact, no words needing to be exchanged.

“We’re here,” Tony announced, heading to the back of the jet. The cargo door opened, and the team jumped out.

***

“We have hostiles on the north side of the property, we are taking fire!”

***

As soon as they landed on the ground, they began to take fire. Bruce ducked behind Natasha and Clint, quickly transforming into the Hulk. Tony was scouting from above, relaying positions and numbers to those on the ground. Steve and Bucky plowed ahead of the others, hardly slowing as they knocked out soldier after soldier. “Tony, where's the entrance?” shouted Steve as he swung his shield forward, taking out a sniper before catching it again.

“Thirty yards ahead of you, JARVIS detects a heavily shielded door leading to a secure elevator shaft!” Tony responded, watching as the Hulk smashed through an entire line of men. Clint was nowhere to be seen, but his arrows were making a clear appearance on the field. Thor was the closest to the entrance, large strikes of lighting flickering down often as the more men seemed to spill out of the compound. After a few more tense minutes of fighting, they were the only ones left standing. Bucky was already racing towards the elevator shaft door, which Thor was now prying open.

“Alright,” said Steve, glancing down the dark hole. “Hulk, you go down first with Natasha. The rest of us will follow after you let us know how far the drop is.” Natasha nodded, and she and Hulk soon dropped out of sight. Bucky gritted his teeth, only wanting to already be rescuing Darcy. Their earpieces crackled before Nat’s voice came through, slightly garbled.

“It's about a 300 foot drop. We took care of the HYDRA agents right here, but this place is massive and it sounds like there are a lot more on their way.” Steve contemplated the shaft for a second before motioning to Clint, who had appeared while waiting for Natasha’s report back. Clint gave a mock salute before stepping forward. He shot a zip-line arrow directly above his head, checked that it was secure, and attached a clip from his belt to the line.

“It should be fine for all of us to go down, but we’ll need a different way out of there with Darcy. Tony and Thor can’t fly us all back up one by one, and Bruce is going to crash hard after this.” “Alright,” said Steve, grabbing a clip from Clint's outstretched hand.

“We’ll deal with that when we get there. Right now, our priority is finding Darcy and whoever is behind this.” One by one, the team slid into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied. I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. Next chapter, promise!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written at 3 am with no beta, so my apologies in advance. I hope you enjoy!

Once they landed on the ground, chaos ensued. It was easy to see the path of destruction taken by the Hulk, walls smashed and bodies littered on the ground. The hallway split three ways about fifteen yards past where they’d come in, and they could see Natasha waiting for them. “Hey, Nat,” said Clint, quickly looking her over for injuries.

“I’m fine, Clint, stop worrying.” She turned to Cap and Bucky, both of whom looked eager to join the fight. “Hulk went left, it sounded like there were more bodies that way. I was going to follow but decided to wait for you guys to join the party.” Steve nodded and quickly assessed the situation.

“Alright, here's what we’re going to do. Clint, you and Tasha follow the big guy. Thor, you and Tony go straight. See if you can get any information about who’s running this whole thing. Bucky and I go right. Everyone, stay on comms. Anyone gets any sort of clue of where Darcy might be, you sound off right away. Everyone agreed?” He looked around at his teammates, all of whom were wearing grim faces.

“We follow your lead, Captain,” said Thor gravely. With that, they split up, each hoping the others would find Darcy quickly.

***

“Dammit!” Pierce swore, banging his fist on the table loudly. Everyone in the room turned to look at him, surprised at the outburst of emotion from the man. “We need to evacuate, now,” he snarled, glaring at those around him.

“Sir, the Hulk has destroyed all exits besides one, and it's being guarded by Hawkeye. No one can get close”

“He shoots a fucking bow, wait until he runs out of arrows.” The agent paused, clearly not wishing to continue.

“Sir… He seems to have the ability to recall his arrows to him." Pierce blanched, gritting his teeth. The door to his office was abruptly kicked in, Thor and Iron Man standing in the doorway.

“Well,” remarked Tony, gesturing at Pierce. “Didn't I say only a shitstain could organize something like this?”

***

Bucky crept down the hallway, alert for anyone coming towards him. He and Steve had been split up at a staircase, Bucky deciding to head down. The air was musty, and the lights flickered weakly. He was about to turn back when he noticed a door, seemingly out of place. It looked just the slightest bit newer than the rest, something he only noticed out of the corner of his eye. Inching forward, he slowly unlocked the door and swung it open. There, huddled on a dirty mattress, was the unconscious body of Darcy Lewis. The formerly curvy woman was now painfully thin, her cheekbones prominent and her clothes, closer to rags, hung off her frame. Her body was mottled yellow and blue, and one of her eyes was blackened. Bucky felt anger heating up inside him, but any spark that might have lit it died the moment Darcy's eyes fluttered open and met his.

***

When Bucky had confirmed he had Darcy, everyone froze for a moment. The amount of relief that swept through the team was immeasurable. Everyone resumed fighting with a renewed sense of vigor, which didn’t go unnoticed by the few agents of HYDRA left fighting. Tony and Thor had secured all the men from Pierce's office and were calling in backup from a few trusted field agents to help clean up the mess. There were more than a few faces the team recognized from the Tower, and each betrayal hurt just as much as the last.

When Bucky finally appeared, a passed out Darcy in his arms, it had taken everything in Natasha to keep her emotions in check. She had grown to trust and respect Darcy, loved her endless energy and constant chatter. This seemed to only be an empty shell of the women she once knew. Clint led the team to the exit he had found and defended, a working elevator that came up behind a few old boxes meant to hide it.

The ride home was just as quiet as the ride there had been, but this time for Darcy. Whatever drugs they had given her hadn’t started to wear off yet, so she stayed asleep. Bucky had refused to relinquish his hold on her, glaring anytime Steve gestured to the cot that folded down. The flight home seemed to drag on, Bruce huddled in the corner with Natasha and Clint, Steve and Tony conversing with each other in low voices. Thor sat by Bucky, his large hand gently stroking her hair, tears rolling down his cheeks. “My lightning sister…” He muttered, looking heartbroken. “What have they done?” Bucky said nothing at all, simply content to hold her in his arms.

***

Darcy awoke suddenly, weeks of interrupted sleep making her weary. She glanced around her, confused. She was no longer in the dark cell she had gotten used to occupying. Instead, she was in a white room, curtains drawn around windows. She glanced down at herself. She was wearing a hospital gown, her arms and legs covered in bandages. She pinched herself. No way was this real. There was no way this wasn't a dream, an elaborate fantasy her mind had created. On her second look around the room, she noticed a chair with a man in it she hadn’t seen before. He was sleeping, his neck kinked in what had to be an uncomfortable position. Could that be Bucky? She had dreamed that he would save her, sweeping her up and taking her away. Could this maybe be real?

Careful of her IV’s, she climbed silently out of her bed, not daring to make a noise. Dragging her tubes behind her, she crept in closer, hardly breathing. Bucky's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he took in the sight before him. Darcy was crouched on the floor, greasy hair falling thick in her face. She had dragged her IV machine behind her and was staring at him. He opened his mouth to speak but remembered what his first words to her would be. He stopped himself, and she looked confused. She looked around, eyes suspicious, before raising her hands and beginning to sign. Bucky's eyes widened slightly. He reached up and tapped on his lips, the question clear. Darcy violently shook her head, eyes filling with tears. Bucky immediately reached forward, offering her his hand. After a moment, she hesitantly reached forward and placed her hand in his. Leaning forward, he whispered,_ “it’s okay to be scared to speak.”___


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am so glad my late night ramblings were able to make so many of you happy. Who knows, maybe I should write more stuff at 3 am. Anyways, here is a new chapter! Its finally time for Bucky and Darcy to get to know eachtoehr. Also, there is a fair bit of signing in this chapter. To distingush between signing and speaking, I will be using only apostraphies for singing and quotation marks for speaking. Enjoy!

Darcy reared back, startled. Her hand was still in Bucky's, and for a moment neither of them moved. ‘You’, she signed with one hand. Bucky nodded, bowing his head.

‘Are you disappointed?’ He signed back, glancing up through his hair to look at her. She tugged her hand out of his, her signs now rapid and jerky.

‘Look at me,’ she said, gesturing to herself. ‘Why would you want this? And now…’ she paused, pain flashing across her face, ‘I’m broken.’ Bucky shook his head, gently easing himself out of the chair to sit in front of her.

‘You are not broken,’ he signed,reaching his hand out to her once more. ‘You are so incredibly strong, anyone who looks at you can tell.’ A small smile, so faint and brief Bucky hardly spotted it before it was gone, darted across her face. Nothing else was said, the two of them remaining on the floor. After a few minutes, Bucky slowly raised his hand to Darcy's face, nothing in his expression changing at the involuntary flinch she gave. She killed herself, weakly starting to sign sorry before Bucky gently shook his head at her. ‘You have nothing to be sorry for.’ She nodded, and Bucky again raised his hand closer to his face. This time, Darcy remained still, eyes watching his every move. He gently brushed his hand across her face before pulling his hand back. Darcy glanced at it, confusion settling into her features as she noticed it was wet. Bucky, seeing her look, frowned. ‘You’re crying,’ he signed. Darcy blinked in surprise, reaching up to touch her cheek.

‘Oh,’ she signed, frowning.

‘It’s okay to cry, Darcy.’ Darcy looked at the man in front of her, the gentleness on his face taking her breath away. She was out, she was free, she never had to go back. A loud sob ripped itself from her throat, leaving her gasping for air. Bucky slowly pulled her closer, and she went willingly, curling up into a ball in his lab. He gently stroked her hair, murmuring nonsense words under his breath. He wasn't sure how long they sat there, but eventually her crying slowed and she fell asleep, clinging to him tightly. Making sure not to wake her, he stood and carried her to the hospital bed, IV lines dragging behind. When he tried to leave, she let out a whimper, and he couldn't bear to part from her. He gingerly slid into the bed beside her, careful to keep the covers pulled to her shoulders.

“Just until she lets go,” he whispered, looking at the women next to him. “Just until then.”

***

Natasha stood outside of Darcy's hospital room, watching as Bucky lowered the now sleeping women into the bed before crawling in himself. Feeling as though she was intruding on a personal moment, she turned and walked back to where the rest of the team and Jane waited anxiously. “She and Bucky are now fully soul bonded,” she announced quietly. The group fell silent, each remembering when their other half said the words to them.

“Can I see her?” Came the tentative voice of Jane. SHe was sitting on Thor, and looked smaller than normal.

“She just fell asleep,” Natasha said gently, watching as Jane's face fell. “But if Dr. Betchal doesn't have a problem with it, there's a chair in there you can sit in.” Jane turned to the doctor, her face pleading and eyes full of tears. Dr. Betchal considered her for a moment before nodding her consent. Jane let out a sigh of relief, body going limp.

“The rest of you will have to wait until we run more tests and see how bad the damage is.” The team nodded, though none of them looked happy.

“Can I join?” Steve turned, surprised. Pepper stood behind the group, pushing Sam's wheelchair forward.

“Sam!” Exclaimed Steve, immediately leaning down and pressing their foreheads together.

“Mr. Wilson insisted he be let out of bed,” said Dr. Betchal, a fond look on her face. “And knowing him as well as I do, I knew he would crawl if he had too.” Sam said nothing, but the grin on his face only confirmed what the doctor was saying. Bruce, supported by Clint, stood. The bags under his eyes were massive, and his face was etched with weariness. Natasha quickly stepped forward, helping Clint support their soulmate.

“We’re going to get some sleep,” said Clint, looking at Bruce worriedly. The rest of the group nodded and said their goodbyes before watching the trio slowly walk away. Jane, obviously itching to go to Darcy's room, pressed a chaste kiss to Thor's lips before leaving, her hurried pace only slowed when she reached Darcy's door. Steve and Tony sat back down, clearly intending to wait there until more news could be given. Thor sat heavily beside them, cradling his head in his hands. No words were spoken, each too lost in their thoughts.

***

Clint, Natasha, and Bruce entered their apartment, the lights automatically flickering on thanks to JARVIS. Bruce was nearly asleep on his feet, only his partners keeping him from falling over. All three climbed into bed and Bruce immediately passed out. “How was she?” Asked Clint, his eyes glued to Bruce's face, as though watching Nat as she spoke would make what she was saying worse. “Bad,” Natasha whispered, closing her eyes. “Very, very bad.”

***

Jane pushed the door open, praying to Freya that it wouldn't make a noise. Slipping quickly inside, she paused to take in the sight before her. Her best friend had never looked more fragile, her body covered in bandages and painfully thin. More surprising was the large super soldier also asleep in the bed, his face looking more peaceful than she had ever seen. Darcy's hands were clutching his shirt, her entire body curled into his side. With a sad smile, Jane silently crossed the room to the large armchair that clearly did not belong in the room. She hadn't been sure what to make of it when Bucky had revealed that Darcy had said his words, but she could see it now. She only hoped he was enough to keep her grounded.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Writers block sucks :( Comments and kudos are my i n s p i r a t i o n, lovelies! Thank you so much <3

Darcy lay still, hardly daring to move. The events of the past 24 hours were flashing through her mind on a constant loop, but it all came back to the moment Bucky had uttered her words. She knew that she would be feeling the effects of her kidnapping and subsequent torture for a long time, but she couldn't help but feel safe wrapped in Bucky's arms. She could hardly believe her luck, or the fact that he even seemed willing to have a soulmate as broken as her. She tilted her head to the side to stare at Bucky's sleeping face. He looked so relaxed, so peaceful this way. A small smile flitted across her face, one of the first that had appeared since she had been taken. Bucky's eyes were suddenly open, and he was staring back at her, a small furrow now appearing between his brows. Hesitantly, Darcy reached a trembling hand up slowly and gently pressed against it, waiting until he smoothed his forehead out before moving her hand again.

A small scrape in the corner of the room had them both quickly turning over, Bucky pushing Darcy's body slightly behind him. Jane looked up, wincing “Sorry,” she said quietly, pushing her hair out of her face. Darcy felt Bucky relax as he realized there was no threat. Jane stood up slowly, approaching the bed the way she would a wounded animal. “Hey Darce,” she said, a look of sadness in her eyes. “Is it okay if I come a little closer?” Darcy paused, a small shock running through her system. Just like when Bucky had asked before he touched her, this presenting of choices took her breath away. Weeks of her consent being stripped from her had obviously taken their toil. Jane paused, oblivious to inner turmoil her friend was going through. When Darcy didn't answer, Bucky reached out and gently grabbed her hand. Despite how gentle he was, Darcy couldn't help but flinch. Bucky began to pull his hand back but stopped when Darcy clung to him. So far, he was the only positive human contact she had had in ages, and knowing that he was her soulmate only helped her feel more grounded.

‘Yes,’ she signed to Jane. ‘Its okay if you come closer.’ Jane's face twisted into an odd shape before smoothing out again.

“I don't… I can’t sign,” She said haltingly, frowning. Silence fell, both women looking anywhere but each other.

“She doesn't speak, as far I can tell.” Bucky's voice broke the quiet, glancing at Darcy to ask for silent permission to translate. She slowly nodded her head, touching herself more comfortably into the corner of the bed. Bucky turned back to Jane, who now looked as though she was on the verge of tears. “She said it's okay for you to come closer,” he said. Jane nodded, stepping forward until she was close enough to touch Darcy. She reached her hand out, palm up, and waited. Darcy felt tears start to fall again, and leaned forward to grab Jane's hand before she pulled it away. Jane let out a huge breath, straightening up slightly as though her fear of Darcy's reaction had been weighing heavily on her shoulders. Bucky scooted over, before quickly signing to Darcy that she should sit in the middle. Jane sat on the farthest end of the bed from Bucky, and both of them watched as Darcy slowly moved into the remaining space between them. With Buck on one side, Jane on the other, and each of their hands in hers, she felt content. They sat like that for a while, nothing being said as Bucky and Jane simply let Darcy process what was going on.

When the door swung open, Jane jumped, startled. Bucky was surprised to feel Darcy wedge herself between his back and the wall, trembling as her breathing became shaky. Dr. Betchal stood in the doorway, a medical chart in her hand. Bucky relaxed slightly, and turned to whisper to Darcy. “That’s just Dr. Betchal, Darcy. She's here to make sure you’re okay.” Darcy’s shaking slowed, her breathing evening out as she looked up at Bucky.

‘You promise she won't hurt me?’ she signed. Bucky felt a flash of anger before he stuffed it back down. Darcy was too important to scare away right now, and he needed to focus.

“I promise she won't ever hurt you. No one will ever again,” he whispered, his voice low enough for only Jane to have heard. Dr. Betchal hasn't moved from the doorway, and was now observing the interaction between Bucky and Darcy with barely contained joy. A few more signs flitted back between Buck and Darcy before Bucky turned back to the doctor with a smile. “She's okay with you coming in,” he said, motioning her closer with one hand. The other was still trapped between Darcy's sweating palms. Dr. Betchal took slow, even steps into the rooms, making sure to keep all movements clear and well paced.

‘Hello, Darcy,’ she signed, smiling at Jane's shocked look. ‘My name is Rose Betchal and I’m going to be your doctor while you stay with us, alright?’ Darcy was barely visible from behind Bucky, but her head nod could be clearly seen. ‘Alright then, dear. Do you want Jane to stay?’ Darcy, who had been inching closer from behind Bucky, halted her movements. She bit her lip, obviously thinking hard about the question. She then slowly shook her head no.

‘I don't want her to see everything wrong with me,’ she said, bowing her head slightly. ‘But I want Bucky to stay.’ Dr. Betchal nodded, making a quick note on Darcy's chart.

“Jane, would you mind stepping out of the room while we go over Darcy's notes?” Jane hesitated for a moment before slipping off the bed. She turned to Darcy and, with a squeeze to her hand, said, “I’ll be right outside.” She turned and left the room, all eyes following her as the door swung shut. “Alright,” she heard Dr. Betchal says as the door closes behind her. “Let's get started.” Jane let out a loud gasp and bent in half, her sobs caught in her throat. Her Darcy, her poor, poor Darcy. Arms encircled her, and she fell into the familiar embrace of Thor. He didn't say a word, just scooped her up and carried her towards the elevator, her sobs echoing in the nearly empty hallway.  
***

Clint had just woken up when he heard a knock on the door. After a complicated maneuver which included slipping over Bruce's left leg and under Nats arm, he stumbled into the living room. When he opened the door he was surprised to see Thor and Jane standing there streaks on her face indicating she had been crying recently. “Could - can you - I need to learn sign language. Will you help me?”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! Jeez, it has been a hot minute since I posted. Between my birthday and broken computers, time slipped away. Nonetheless, I hope you like this update! This chapter was super fun to write, so here's to ya'll liking it. 
> 
> ALSO! I'm thinking of writing a few one-shot spin offs of this timeline, so let me know if there is anything you guys wanna read.
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe right now! Much love :)

‘Alright, Darcy,’ signed Dr. Betchal, making sure to keep a good ten feet between herself and the obviously terrified women before her. ‘I’m just going to go over your list of injuries, and what treatments we gave you while you were unconscious.’ Darcy nodded, Bucky still blocking most of her from sight. ‘You had multiple fractured ribs that are still healing, so you are going to need to avoid any strenuous activity and let me or Bucky know if you have any difficulty breathing, alright? You also had a few broken fingers and a twisted ankle. There were signs of electrical burns, and a few odd drugs in your system that we managed to flush out. We reset the broken fingers while you were asleep. We also noticed you had severe muscle bruising, which unfortunately we can’t do much about besides controlling the pain.’  
  
She paused, letting both Bucky and Darcy digest the news. Bucky looked grim, and had settled himself more firmly in front of Darcy. Darcy was still, hardly blinking. She had gotten so used to being in pain, that now she was actively thinking about it, she noticed it was gone. Tears crept down her face, unnoticed by her as she let out a sigh of relief and slowly leaned closer to Bucky. A small smile flitted across Dr. Betchals face as she took in the scene before her. Darcy was obviously a very strong young woman, a fighter. All the same, she couldn't help but be grateful that Darcy didn't need to go through the recovery process along. Friends would be an amazing support system obviously, but nothing quite matched the level of relief and comfort that came from a soul bond. ‘Are you ready to continue?’ she signed, waiting patiently as Darcy's eyes refocused on her.  
  
‘Yes.’  
  
‘Alright, there's only a little left.’ Shifting so she was now resting her cheek on Bucky's back, she gestured for the doctor to continue. Bucky, who had started slightly at the obviously hesitant contact from Darcy, gripped her hand a little tighter, squeezing it to let her know he had her. ‘You had severe dehydration and malnourishment, and as a result you are very underweight. We have you on a saline drip,’ she said, motioning to the IV bags, ‘and a slight pain killer. Your stomach will have shrunk over the past weeks, so we’ll be closely monitoring your food intake.’ Dropping her hands back to her sides, she waited for any questions that might come her way.  
  
‘How long…’ signed Darcy, her fingers clumsy. ‘How long until I’m okay?’ Dr. Betchal took a moment, considering her response before she spoke.  
  
“Physically? A couple of months, maybe longer for the malnourishment. And mentally?” She paused again, looking at the women in front of her with no pity in her eyes. “You will need counseling. A lot of it. I can’t promise everything will ever go away. You will have PTSD forever. However,” she smiled, glancing at Bucky, “you have an excellent support system.” Darcy nodded, seemingly pleased with the answers. Bucky cleared his throat, eyes darting to Darcy before looking back at the Doctor.  
  
“And her voice?” he said, his voice soft.  
  
“I believe that in time, when Ms. Lewis is comfortable and no longer afraid, it will return all on its own. But it isn't something she can force.”  
  
‘Do you mind?’ Signed Darcy, shrinking in on herself.  
  
‘No,’ Bucky signed immediately, eyes flashing protectively. ‘You could never speak again and I would still be happy just to be around you.’ Darcy grinned, her first full smile in weeks, and leaned her head back onto Bucky's shoulder. Dr. Betchal signed her goodbyes before slipping out of the room, confident that as long as Darcy had Bucky by her side, she would make it through all that was to come.

***

Time passed quickly in her hospital room. Bucky never left her alone for more than five minutes, which was good as that's about as long as she could handle before starting to become anxious, worried that someone would come and kidnap her again. After discussing the problem with Sam, who had recovered from his stab wound completely and was now her therapist, he recommended finding a few others that Darcy would trust whenever Bucky had to leave the room. Thor had been an obvious choice, and that often meant Jane as well. She was working hard on learning sign language, and after a few weeks was able to follow along with most of what her best friend was saying. Thor's all-speak meant he knew sign language as well, which made Darcy grin when she first found out.  
  
Clint and Natasha together also worked, but for some reason only one or the other wasn't quite enough. No one ever questioned it though, simply acknowledging the fact that it would take time to get her comfortable around all of them again. It was decided that soulmate pairs would accompany Darcy and Bucky, as that seemed to be best for her. They also found out rather quickly that Darcy couldn't handle more than three people in her room, even if Bucky was there. A schedule was quickly created, making sure that she was never alone and Bucky could leave to shower. Even when he wasn't scheduled though, he was by Darcy's side, never saying much unless others were there. He braided her hair, telling her stories about his younger sister Becca and how he had learned to do her hair after his Ma died. He was there after every nightmare, every panic attack.  
  
Darcy had only left her room a few times, never making it more than a few steps outside her door before needing to turn back due to the sheer volume of people. Sam was there everyday, helping her accept and discuss what had happened to her. She never asked Bucky to leave, finding it easier to relive the memories with his solid presence beside her. She asked Sam once if her being so attached to Bucky was normal, and with a soft smile, he told her it was how every newly matched pair of soulmates felt. 

***

Finally, the day came for Dr. Betchal to release Darcy from the hospital. Darcy had been pacing all day, which made Bucky smile as he watched her from the armchair. Five weeks had passed since he had found Darcy, and the difference between then and now was astounding. She had slowly but surely regained the lost weight, and with her physical therapist was gaining back some strength. With the help of both Sam and Bucky, she was now more comfortable expressing her opinions.  
  
The first time she had been offered a choice between pudding or jello for dessert, she had burst into tears. Now, she playfully demanded small, stupid things that everyone was more then happy to bring her. Steve had brought her a box of toys he had collected while Darcy had been missing and she had been so happy, she gave him a hug. It had been a huge step forward for her, as before that only Bucky, Jane, and Thor could touch her without her flinching. Soon, everyone was bringing her stupid gifts; Avengers merch socks, mugs with small animals inside, strangely shaped rock. It had become an unspoken competition to see who could make her smile more, who she would ask for the silliest thing. Bucky was winning so far, earning himself a shy peck on the cheek for bringing her a small daisy frozen in glass.  
  
She still hasn't said anything, but everyone on the team and Jane could sign fluently. “Alright, Ms.Lewis, time for you to get out of here.” Darcy's head snapped up at the sound of Dr. Betchals voice, a smile spreading across her face. She began to sign rapidly, jumping up and down, flitting between Buck and the doctor. Neither of them could contain their laughter, each overjoyed at how much better Darcy was doing. Suddenly, a soft laugh joined in. Both Bucky and Dr. Betchal turned to Darcy, surprise evident on their faces. Even Darcy looked shocked, a hand covering her mouth as she blushed. It was the first time anything other than sobbing had come out of her mouth.  
  
Bucky whooped, leaping up and taking Darcy into his arms, spinning her in a circle. Darcy laughed again, barely audible but clear nonetheless. Dr. Betchal stood by the door, a gentle grin taking over her face for a moment as she witnessed the scene before her. She thought of interrupting, but decided to simply wait as the two soulmates danced across the large hospital room, booming laughter coming from Bucky and gentle giggles from Darcy.


	19. Chapter 19

With Buckys hand clasped in hers, Darcy stepped out of her hospital room, trying to suppress the feelings of anxiety that were rising. The hallway was clear of people, and she figured that wasn't an accident. She saw Jane at the end of the hallway, the small scientist excitedly bouncing on her toes as she rapidly signs to Darcy. Darcy smiled, raising a hand in a half wave. Jane had been such a big help while she had been contained to her hospital room, learning sign language, bringing her work with her so Darcy could feel some semblance of normal. She had never been so grateful to have her in her life.

All the avengers had been so accommodating, but she was excited to be going to her own quarters again. She glanced at Bucky, still hardly believing that he was her soulmate, that he wanted to stay by her side even with all that had happened. He caught her eye and she blushed, ducking her head. She wasn't quite sure what her feeling about him were just yet, but she did know that there were few people she trusted as much as him anymore. Her circle was small, but tight knit. ‘Ready?’ He signed. She nodded, and together they stepped into the elevator with Jane. More of the team had originally wanted to be there, but a few signs to Bucky from Darcy had him gently telling them that that might be a tad too overwhelming for her.

Darcy shifted from one foot to the other, her anxiety slowly creeping up her spine as she realized how overwhelmed she suddenly felt. Her breathing was becoming shallow, and her vision was becoming hazy. She didn't even register that the elevator had stopped, but she suddenly was on the floor between Buckys legs, his arms wrapped around her chest as he gently applied pressure to her chest. In, out, in, out. Her breathing slowed, and the feeling returned to her extremities. ‘Sorry,’ she signed shakily, brushing tears off her cheeks.

“Don't apologize,” Bucky said, his voice gentle but stern. “Never apologize for your panic attacks, remember?” Jane nodded emphatically from her place on the floor, making sure to give Darcy her space. So far, only Bucky could calm her from attacks, and she apologized after every one even though, at this point, she had suffered through dozens of varying degrees of seriousness. ‘Are you alright or do you need another minute?’ Asked Bucky, now rubbing circles on her back. Darcy, doing what Sam always told her to do after an attack, checked in with herself. Her anxiety, while still there, was now less then before. Her breathing had settled, and all feeling in her hands and feet had come back.

‘I’m alright,’ she signed, reaching a hand out to Jane. Jane leaned forward, scooting closer as she took Darcy's hand in her own.

“Alright,” said Bucky, glancing up. “JARVIS, can you continue to Darcy's room?”

“Of course, Mr. Barnes. Should I inform Mr. Wilson that Darcy has recovered from her attack?” Darcy signed yes, and the elevator resumed its ascent.

***

Natasha and Clint lay curled together in bed, the two spy's taking their rare moment of downtime to enjoy each others company. “What are we going to do with Jack Rollins and his cronies?” Asked Clint, absentmindedly running his hands through Nats hair. Natasha said nothing for a moment, the drumming pattern her fingers were beating out the only sign then she was awake.

“If I could simply make them all disappear, with no questions asked, I would.” Clint grinned, the answer nothing less then he expected. But the dilemma was a real one. SHIELD no longer existed, and while leeway was given to the Avengers, they didn't have any authority to make arrests or hold prisoners any longer then it took to get information. They currently had not only Jack Rollins and the rest of ALPHA team in the basement prison, but most of the men they had captured while rescuing Darcy. They had to turn Alexander Pierce over to the government since he was a man with his fingers in many pockets. They hadn't managed to get much of anything out of the men they did have, and questions were starting to be asked about the amount of men the Avengers neither confirmed nor denied having custody of. Choices were going to have to be made soon, and both Natasha and Clint worried about making the right one.

***

Darcy, for the first time in months, was laying in her own bed, in her own room. Jane had left almost an hour ago after extracting promises from Darcy and Bucky to eat dinner with her and Thor. Bucky wasn't exactly sure what to do with himself. He was currently sitting in Darcy's living room, wanting to give Darcy space to reacquaint herself with her own things, but seemingly unable to be more then a room away from her without panicking. Part of him knew it was irrational, that he had no right to feel this way about Darcy when they hadn't even began to talk about what the soulmarks meant for the two of them. Honestly, Bucky wasn't sure why Darcy was even letting him stick around. He was a 70-year-old ex-assassin, recovered from severe brainwashing, and huge gaps in his memory. He looked up at the sound of gentle footsteps. Darcy stood in the doorway, her frame relaxed in a way that Bucky hadn't seen since before she had been kidnapped.

‘Do you want to sit?’ He asked, gesturing to the chair across from him. Darcy hesitated a moment before slowly walking over to couch that Bucky was sitting on. She paused, clearly unsure now that was standing there. She bit her lip, fingers twisting together anxiously. Bucky scooted over and patted the spot next to him. Darcy's face lit up and she quickly sat down, tucking her feet underneath her as she leaned against him. “Darcy…” He said, unsure how to begin the conversation. Darcy flinched, pulling back and wrapping her arms around herself.

‘Sorry, sorry, sorry.’

“No, no, I’m sorry, I’m not good with words.” Bucky paused, scrubbing his face with his hands. “Our soulmarks, Darce, we should talk about it.” Darcy, seeming slightly reassured, leaned back up against Bucky.

‘Yeah, I agree.’ She signed. Both remained silent, neither sure who should speak first.

"I just want you to know, I don't, I don't expect anything." Bucky said, eyes darting around the room. Darcy nodded slowly, her fingers going still for a moment before starting to sign.

'I feel... Safe. When I'm with you. And that means something important to me. But, I also don't want to saddle you with a mute soulmate. So, I totally get it if you want to-' Darcy's hands stilled as Bucky covered them with his own.

"Darcy," Bucky said, eyes meeting hers. "You don't need to speak to be special to me. I promise. You could never speak another word ever again and I would still care for you just as much." Darcy was frozen, her eyes filling with tears as she registered what Bucky was saying.

'You really don't care?' She signed with one hand.

"No." Bucky and her sat there, neither daring to break the fragile stillness that had fallen over them. Darcy leaned in slowly, eyes flickering between Buckys and his lips. Bucky sat still, not wanting to rush Darcy into anything she wasn't ready for. He could feel her gentle breath against his face, and finally their lips met. Their soulmate bond seemed to flutter, then sing under their skin as their bond was fully recognized. Both sat back, eyes locked as they registered the feeling of the new bond. Bucky smiled, and Darcy returned it. He gently caressed her face before leaning his forehead against hers.

"Bucky." The gentle whisper of Darcy's voice shattered the silence in the best way, and Bucky reared back. Darcy was staring at him, her grin a full blown smile.

"Darcy," He whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Justice for George Floyd. If you can't get out and protest or donate money, look up Youtube videos that are donating ad profits to BLM movements. Do what you can, and stay as safe as possible. Much love.


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